Meta-analysis on cooperation patterns in depression

We systematically searched Web of Science, PsycInfo, and PubMed and then performed a three-level meta-analysis on 44 studies with 71 effect sizes. We found an overall significant negative association between depression and cooperation, and a significant moderation effect of the responsive versus expressive category. Specifically, depression was negatively associated with cooperation in responsive paradigms overall and in each individual responsive paradigms with k>=4 (Cyberball game, responder-role Ultimatum Game, Prisoner’s Dilemma, and investor-role Trust Game), and (2) was positively associated with cooperation in expressive paradigms overall and in the trustee-role Trust Game, and a trend of positive association in allocation tasks.

In our multiple-moderator analysis, while controlling for other significant single moderators, the responsive versus expressive category remained significant, explaining 66.32% of the total variations in effect sizes. Our study completed the half-missing landscape of social dysfunctions in expressive social scenario associated with depression, which have important implications for practitioners as they develop different social rehabilitation strategies tailored to responsive and expressive social scenarios.