Color Preferences And Their Predictions Of Emotional States In Patients With Major Depressive And Generalized Anxiety Disorders

Objective:To explore the color preferences and their predictions of emotional states in patients with major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders.Methods:We administered the color preference test, Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scales in 45 patients with major depressive disorder,28 generalized anxiety disorder, and 41 healthy volunteers.Results:Major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders groups preferred black more than the control group did, the latter group preferred yellow more than the former two groups did. In major depressive disorder group, yellow preference negatively predicted the Hamilton Anxiety Scale score; purple preference negatively predicted the Hamilton Depression Scale score. In generalized anxiety disorder group, red preference positively predicted the Hamilton Anxiety Scale score, while red, yellow and white preferences positively predicted the Hamilton Depression Scale scores.Conclusion:There were significant differences on color preferences between healthy volunteers and patients with major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders, and patients’ preferences were associated with the scores of Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scales in each group. Our finding might provide some support for an optimal color-arrangement in medical settings.