Emotional regulation quotient, color preference, and heart rate variability in newly diagnosed clinically depressed patients – A pilot case study

Abstract Introduction: Depression profoundly affects emotional regulation, physiological responses, and color preferences, reflecting a complex interplay between mental and physical health. Methodology: This pilot study aimed to assess emotional regulation quotient, color preference, and heart rate variability (HRV) in newly diagnosed clinically depressed patients. The study included 12 randomly chosen patients, both male and female, aged 20–45 years. The study group consisted of patients clinically diagnosed with depression, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition recruited from a psychiatric outpatient department and the control group consisted of healthy individuals. HRV was recorded, and all participants were asked to name the first color that came to mind or their favorite color. The Emotional Regulation Questionnaire was used to measure their tendency to regulate emotions. The Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that the most commonly opted color among controls was pink (33%), followed by blue (25%), while in the study group, it was black (33%), followed by blue (25%). The mean GHQ-12 scores of controls were 12.33 ± 7.41, and in cases, it was 25.75 ± 3.98, with a statistically significant p value of 0.000015. The study found a significant correlation between physical aspects such as HRV, emotional regulation quotient, and color preferences. Conclusion: The study findings contributed to the understanding of the complex interplay between emotional regulation, color preference, and cardiac autonomic function in depression.