Contribution from Nicola (LEAP member)

Contribution from Sarah (LEAP member)

What is Anhedonia?

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Contribution from Amy (LEAP Member): A palindrome poem, also known as a reversible or mirror poem, is a piece of writing that reads the same forwards and backward, often with different meanings in each direction.

Contribution from Amy (LEAP Member): Visual poetry is a style of poetry that incorporates graphic and visual design elements to convey its meaning.

Is Recovery Possible?

While anhedonia can be persistent, recovery is possible. With the right support, therapies, and creative approaches, people can reconnect with pleasure and meaning.

Recovery is often non-linear, and progress may take time.
Research suggests that anhedonia may improve with:
- Therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and behavioural activation, both of which target engagement with pleasurable and meaningful activities.
- Social connection, which can buffer against emotional numbing and disengagement.
- Meaningful activity and values-based living, often encouraged through therapeutic models such as ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
- Digital innovations such as virtual reality and mobile-based tools have shown early promise in increasing engagement, though research into their effect on anhedonia specifically is still developing.

Although anhedonia can feel overwhelming, recovery and improvement are possible. Two examples show how people have found ways forward:

Music therapy – A case study by Bolger & McFerran (2024) describes how music therapy provided a meaningful outlet for self-expression, gradually helping one individual reconnect with feelings of pleasure and motivation.

Pugh et al. (2026) found that:

Psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments lead to modest but meaningful improvements in anhedonia.
Face-to-face therapy appears especially effective, likely due to the emotional connection and engagement it fosters.
Treatments recommended by national guidelines (such as those from NICE) show comparable benefits, meaning there are multiple paths to recovery.

These findings highlight that while progress may be gradual, targeted support and treatment can make a real difference. Researchers continue to explore new approaches to better address anhedonia directly — including therapies that focus on motivation, reward, and emotional engagement.

These cases remind us that while recovery looks different for everyone, strategies ranging from therapy to personal approaches can make a real difference.

Famous Voices

Public figures like Bob Mortimer have spoken openly about feeling emotionally flat or withdrawn - offering relatable insights into the quiet, isolating nature of anhedonia.

Following heart bypass surgery, Mortimer described feeling “very down.” His fishing trips in Gone Fishing became a way to reconnect with joy and emotional presence, showing how meaningful activities can gently ease symptoms of anhedonia.

He also captured the social withdrawal often involved:

“It can be very lonely knowing that you have things to say but you daren’t say them. Knowing that you could contribute to something but you don't dare quite do it.”

Lived Experience

People describe anhedonia as feeling numb, disconnected. Hearing from those with lived experience helps make this invisible symptom visible.

Contribution from Nicola (LEAP Member)

Contribution from Sarah (LEAP Member)

Definition and Diagnosis

Anhedonia is the reduced ability to feel pleasure or interest in things that once felt meaningful or enjoyable. It is a key symptom in several mental health conditions.

Including:

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Schizophrenia

Schizoaffective disorder

It also features in the diagnostic criteria or clinical descriptions of:

Bipolar depression

Persistent depressive disorder

Substance use disorders

Additionally, it is frequently noted in clinical presentations of:

Parkinson’s disease

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Chronic pain conditions

The DSM-5 describes anhedonia as a “markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day”.

DSM-5 = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition

What is Joy?

Joy gives life colour, energy, and meaning. When it’s missing, as in anhedonia, everyday experiences can feel muted or empty. But understanding joy helps us understand what’s lost - and what might return.

Joy is a sense of connection, uplift, or meaning - found in laughter, music, nature, or love. It can be gentle or intense, but always adds depth and vitality to our days.
In anhedonia, this feeling dims. Activities that once brought pleasure may feel hollow, and even small joys can seem distant. It’s not sadness, but a flattening of emotional experience.
Still, moments of joy can break through - often unexpectedly - through creativity, connection, or sensory experiences. These glimpses matter. They show that joy hasn’t disappeared entirely.

Research has found that psychological approaches designed to boost positive affect — feelings like enjoyment, gratitude, or interest — can reduce symptoms of anhedonia, depression, and anxiety (McAuley & Kangas, 2024).
This means that activities which gently increase positive emotions, such as connecting with others, noticing small moments of pleasure, practising gratitude, or engaging in enjoyable hobbies, may support recovery from anhedonia over time.

Prevalence of Anhedonia:

Depression: 62%
Schizophrenia: 23%
Substance Use Disorders: 31%
Chronic Pain: 23%
Parkinson’s Disease: 25%
Healthy Individuals (no diagnosis): 14%

Facts and Figures

Anhedonia is more common than many people realise. Research shows it can affect people across a wide range of conditions — and even those without a diagnosed mental or physical health condition.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.

Alsayednasser, B., Widnall, E., O'Mahen, H., Wright, K., Warren, F., Ladwa, A., ... & Dunn, B. D. (2022). How well do Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Behavioural Activation for depression repair anhedonia? A secondary analysis of the COBRA randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 159, 104185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2022.104185

Bolger, L., & McFerran, K. S. (2024). Music therapy and anhedonia: A case study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 90, 102198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2024.102198

Chen, K., Barnes-Horowitz, N., Treanor, M., Sun, M., Young, K. S., & Craske, M. G. (2021). Virtual reality reward training for anhedonia: A pilot study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 613617. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613617

Karimi Baghmalek, A., Jelodari, A., & Mahigir, F. (2020). Effectiveness of acceptance & commitment therapy on depression and anhedonia among patients with terminal stage cancer. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 11(4), 33–40. https://doi.org/10.22075/JCP.2020.19238.2027

Khazanov, G. K., Forbes, C. N., Dunn, B. D., & Thase, M. E. (2022). Addressing anhedonia to increase depression treatment engagement. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(2), 255–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12330

McAuley, S., & Kangas, M. (2025). An evaluation of psychological interventions targeting positive affect in the treatment of anhedonia: a systematic review. Clinical Psychologist, 29(2), 216-232. https://doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2025.2498394

Plessen, C. Y., Panagiotopoulou, O. M., Tong, L., Cuijpers, P., & Karyotaki, E. (2025). Digital mental health interventions for the treatment of depression: A multiverse meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 369, 1031–1044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.12.105

Pugh, D. (2024). Identifying distinct trajectories of change in anhedonia during psychological treatment for depression (Doctoral dissertation, University College London). UCL Discovery.

Selig, P. A. (2018). The use of online social networking sites among individuals with social anhedonia (Doctoral dissertation, Hofstra University). ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Snaith, P. (1993). Anhedonia: A neglected symptom of psychopathology. Psychological Medicine, 23(4), 957–966. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700025468

Trøstheim, M., Eikemo, M., Meir, R., Hansen, I., Paul, E., Kroll, S. L., ... & Leknes, S. (2020). Assessment of anhedonia in adults with and without mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 3(8), e2013233. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.13233