In the absence of a blood test that can report "you're 79% depressed, we have to rely on self-reporting. Which is error prone as the scales are highly individual.
As I understand it, and someone correct me if I don't, these self-reporting scales are just a loose diagnostic indicator. They're more useful over time, especially if receiving therapy or medication, as the change in responses can be tracked.
Right, sure, but the study treats well-being and symptoms of depression as separate things.
But if well-being is stuff like being optimistic and fulfilled, then it seems to me hardly a surprise that being optimistic and fulfilled makes you less likely to become depressed, in the same way that not being depressed today makes you less likely to be depressed tomorrow. So I'm trying to work out what this study is actually saying, other than non-depressed people (with ASD) are less likely to be depressed in the future than currently slightly-to-very depressed people.
As I understand it, and someone correct me if I don't, these self-reporting scales are just a loose diagnostic indicator. They're more useful over time, especially if receiving therapy or medication, as the change in responses can be tracked.