Findings in a new neuroimaging research proposed that response of people, with history of depression, to feel guilt is different from others. It has been observed that these people often respond more strongly to feeling guilty.

Dr. Sigmund Freud, known as the father of psychoanalysis, was the first to claim that hiding guilt is a major symptom associated with depression.

However, author of the study and senior lecturer in psychology and psychiatry at the University of Manchester in the U. K., Roland Zahn asserted that their study demonstrates the ways brain experiences depression and guilt.

He emphasized that their study doesn’t determine whether guilt is a cause behind depression, but it does lead to new ways of detecting susceptibility to mood disorder.

He said, “Patients who had recovered from depression were more likely to show activation in areas of the brain associated with guilt, even when primed with scenarios where someone else was at fault”.

He subjected that the change noticed was very subtle. These people overgeneralize guilt. Hence, they feel guilt for everything.

He explained further by giving examples like if these people lost their jobs or were dumped by their partners, then they would blame themselves, instead of taking into account the circumstances.