Living a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of depression by about half compared to those who don’t follow healthy habits. This suggests that making lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and socializing, could significantly lower the chances of developing depression.
A study conducted by Barbara Sahakian and her colleagues at the University of Cambridge analyzed data from over 280,000 adults in the UK. The researchers looked at factors such as alcohol and nicotine use, physical activity, diet, sleep, and relationships. Participants completed a lifestyle questionnaire between 2006 and 2010 and allowed the researchers access to their health records.
During the 13-year follow-up period, 12,916 participants were diagnosed with depression. The study identified seven lifestyle factors associated with a lower risk of depression after adjusting for various factors. These factors were moderate alcohol intake, never smoking, sufficient sleep, regular exercise, healthy diet, frequent socializing, and minimal sedentary behavior.
Participants were then classified based on their adherence to these lifestyle factors. Those who followed five to seven of these habits had, on average, a 57% lower risk of developing depression compared to those who followed less than two habits. The most influential factors were getting enough sleep, exercising, and socializing, each associated with a 20% lower risk of depression.
In addition, brain scans from a subset of participants showed that a higher number of healthy lifestyle habits were associated with larger brain volume in regions known to influence mood, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This suggests that lifestyle choices can have an impact on brain biology, potentially explaining the link between a healthy lifestyle and a reduced likelihood of depression.
Maura Boldrini at Columbia University in New York cautions that depression can make it difficult for individuals to find motivation to exercise and eat healthy meals. She believes that the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and depression might not be a one-way street in terms of causality.
Insights:
- Living a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, socializing, and sufficient sleep, can significantly reduce the risk of developing depression.
- Following five to seven healthy lifestyle habits can lower the risk of depression by 57% compared to following less than two habits.
- Brain scans show that individuals who have more healthy lifestyle habits have larger brain volume in mood-influencing regions, potentially explaining the connection between a healthy lifestyle and lower depression risk.
- Depression may make it challenging for individuals to find motivation to engage in healthy habits, suggesting a complex relationship between lifestyle and depression.
