2021 Depression

While virtual therapy services have grown in popularity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Psychological Association explored how other digital treatment options can benefit consumers’ mental health. 

According to their findings, alternative styles of therapy that take place online were found to be effective at reducing depression symptoms. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on mental health across the globe,” said researcher Isaac Moshe. “Depression is predicted to be the leading cause of lost life years due to illness by 2030. At the same time, less than 1 in 5 people receive appropriate treatment, and less than 1 in 27 in low-income settings. A major reason for this is the lack of trained health care providers. 

“Overall, our findings from effectiveness studies suggest that digital interventions may have a valuable role to play as part of the treatment offering in routine care, especially when accompanied by some sort of human guidance.” 

Digital treatments can benefit patients

The researchers analyzed data from more than 80 earlier studies that included information on more than 15,000 participants. All of the participants were struggling with depression symptoms, and the team compared how different treatment styles impacted the severity of their symptoms. 

The study showed that digital treatment methods were effective at reducing depression symptoms. It’s important to note that these digital interventions aren’t the same as consumers who participate in teletherapy. Instead, patients utilized a computer program that allowed them to complete therapy-based tasks and assignments, watch videos or read articles, and connect with mental health professionals one-on-one. 

Compared to participants who received no mental health treatment, those who completed digital intervention exercises experienced reduced depression symptoms. The benefits were strongest when the participants were able to communicate in some capacity with a health care provider. The researchers explained that having some kind of human interaction while tackling mental health concerns is an important component of successful treatment. 

How does face-to-face therapy compare?

The study also compared the efficacy of digital interventions with face-to-face talk therapy when it came to treating depression symptoms. Ultimately, the researchers found that one didn’t beat out the other; the researchers explained that there weren’t enough earlier studies to create a thorough comparison. However, they said the benefits associated with both traditional therapy and digital therapy treatments were fairly similar. 

Moving forward, the team hopes more work is done in this area to better understand how different therapies and treatment methods benefit consumers. 

“Digital interventions have been proposed as a way of meeting the unmet demand for psychological treatment,” said Moshe. “As digital interventions are being increasingly adopted within both private and public health care systems, we set out to understand whether these treatments are as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy, to what extent human support has an impact on outcomes, and whether the benefits found in lab settings transfer to real-world settings.”

Parents who struggle with maintaining their mental health have a higher chance of having children that face the same problems. That’s one of the takeaways from a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center. 

The team found that mothers who struggle with depression have a higher chance of raising children who develop their own mental health issues.  

“By focusing on mother-child duos, we identified that maternal depression at an earlier time point predicted child anxiety and depressive symptoms at a later time point,” said researcher Daphne Hernandez, Ph.D. “Further, children who experienced anxiety and depressive symptoms at an earlier time point were more likely to have mothers who experienced depression at later time points.” 

Children and parents share mental health struggles

The researchers analyzed data from over 1,400 mother-child duos enrolled in the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study. Over the course of 10 years, the researchers checked in on the participants’ mental health three times and explored how the two were related. 

The researchers learned that mothers’ mental health is closely linked with their children’s mental health. When mothers experienced depression-related symptoms, their children were more likely to also struggle with their own mental health at any of the check-in points during the study. The opposite was also true – when children were dealing with anxiety or depression symptoms, their parents were more likely to experience similar symptoms. 

The researchers explained that the connection between maternal depression and children’s anxiety and depression is still unclear. However, they believe the stress of being a parent may prevent some mothers from developing warm, meaningful relationships with their children. This may, in turn, make anxiety and depression more likely. 

With a better understanding of the mother-child mental health relationship, the researchers hope resources and treatments can be tailored to benefit all family members. 

“A dual intervention, where both mother and child are receiving treatment together, in addition to their separate treatment plans, may be a successful approach for families where mothers and children exhibit symptoms of anxiety and depression,” Dr. Hernandez said. “Most importantly, implementing strategies to lower parental stress is vital.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Swansea University explored how parents’ mental health can impact their children. According to the findings, children are more likely to experience mental health problems and not perform as well in school when parents struggle with depression. 

“Children who live with a parent (mum or dad) who has depression are more likely to also develop depression and not achieve as well in school, compared to children who live with a parent with treated depression,” the researchers wrote. 

“Working with families and treating parental depression (in dads as well as mums) is likely to have long-term benefits for children’s mental health and educational attainment. This has never been more important than after lockdown and COVID, as depression is contagious too.” 

The family impact of depression

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from infants enrolled in the Secure Anonymized Information Linkage (SAIL) database who were born between 1987 and 2018. The team looked at the participants’ and parents’ medical records to determine the long-term impacts of mental health outcomes. 

The researchers learned that having a parent who was depressed was linked with two important risk factors: a higher risk of children developing depression and a higher risk of not meeting academic milestones. The study showed that young girls were more likely than young boys to develop depression based on their parents’ mental health outcomes. This risk remained high regardless of which parent was struggling with depression. 

From an academic standpoint, children were less likely to pass academic assessments at the end of elementary school when they lived with depressed parents. Moving forward, the team hopes these findings help identify families who may be in need of mental health resources that could greatly benefit both parents and children. 

“This finding suggests that working closely with families where depression (particularly chronic depression) is present in either parent and treating parental depression to remission is likely to have long-term benefits for children’s mental health and educational alignment,” the researchers wrote. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California San Francisco explored how consumers’ mental health can impact their long-term cognitive function. 

Their findings showed that depression-related symptoms in early adulthood can increase the risk of dementia. The opposite also appeared to be true -- experiencing fewer depression-related symptoms was associated with better cognitive function in older age. 

“Generally, we found that the greater depressive symptoms, the lower the cognition and the faster rates of decline,” said researcher Willa Brenowitz, Ph.D. “Older adults estimated to have moderate or high depressive symptoms in early adulthood were found to experience a drop in cognition over 10 years.” 

The link between mental health and cognitive function

To better understand how mental health and mood can impact long-term cognitive function, the researchers had nearly 15,000 people between the ages of 20 and 89 answer questionnaires about their depression symptoms. The team then tracked these individuals over time to determine how their cognitive function was impacted. 

The researchers learned that the participants’ experiences in young adulthood significantly impacted their cognitive function down the road. 

Overall, 13% of the young adults involved in the study had moderate or high depressive symptoms, compared with 34% of older participants. However, for those who experienced depression in their younger years, there was a 73% higher risk of developing dementia; comparatively, depression in later life was linked with a 43% higher risk of dementia. 

“Several mechanisms explain how depression might increase dementia risk,” said Dr. Brenowitz. “Among them is that hyperactivity of the central stress response system increases production of the stress hormones glucocorticoids, leading to damage of the hippocampus, the part of the brain essential for forming, organizing, and storing new memories.” 

The researchers hope these findings highlight how important it is for consumers to have access to mental health treatments and resources. 

“Future work will be needed to confirm these findings, but in the meantime, we should screen and treat depression for many reasons,” said researcher Dr. Kristine Yaffe. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter explored the connection between obesity and depression. According to their findings, the two conditions are closely linked; being overweight may increase the risk of developing depression, and both physical and social factors can contribute to mental health risks. 

“Obesity and depression are both major global health challenges, and our study provides the most robust evidence to date that higher BMI causes depression,” said researcher Jess O’Loughlin. “Understanding whether physical or social factors are responsible for this relationship can help inform effective strategies to improve mental health and well-being. 

“Our research suggests that being fatter leads to a higher risk of depression, regardless of the role of metabolic health. This suggests that both physical health and social factors, such as social stigma, both play a role in the relationship between obesity and depression.” 

The connection between the mind and body

For the study, the researchers analyzed the genetic data of more than 145,000 Europeans enrolled in the U.K. Biobank to determine which factors related to obesity may impact the risk of depression. After analyzing the participants’ DNA, the team determined that there were metabolic and psychological factors linked to obesity. 

The findings showed that being overweight or obese increased the risk of the participants developing depression, and both physical and social factors contributed to that risk. 

The researchers explained that not all genes associated with obesity increase the risk of other health conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes. Some consumers with obesity are still metabolically healthy despite having higher BMIs. This leads the team to believe that other physical and social aspects -- like societal expectations and the social stigma associated with obesity -- are what contribute to the heightened risk of depression. 

As these findings further highlight the ways that physical health can impact mental health, the researchers hope that consumers make both aspects of their health a priority. 

“Our research adds to a body of evidence that being overweight causes depression,” said researcher Dr. Francesa Casanova. “Finding ways to support people to lose weight could benefit their mental health as well as their physical health.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Ruhr-University Bochum explored the mental health benefits associated with physical activity. 

According to their findings, staying active can have significant brain benefits for consumers struggling with depression. The study showed that regular physical activity helps the brain adapt to change and helps reduce depression-related symptoms. 

“The results show how important seemingly simple things like physical activity are in treating and preventing illnesses such as depression,” said researcher Dr. Karin Rosenkranz. 

Mental health benefits of exercise

The researchers had more than 40 people receiving clinical treatment for depression participate in the study. For three weeks, one group of participants completed an exercise program while the other group maintained their regular routine. The researchers tracked the participants’ depression symptoms throughout the course of the study to determine what role exercise played in their mental health outcomes. 

The study showed that engaging in physical activity had several brain-related benefits. One important finding was that the exercise was associated with a better ability to both change and adapt to change. The researchers explained that these are key factors for consumers with depression because struggling with mental health can impact the willingness to change. 

“The ability to change is important for all of the brain’s learning and adaptation processes,” said Rosenkranz. 

The researchers also learned that exercise helped reduce the participants’ depression symptoms; the more they were able to change, the more manageable their symptoms were by the end of the study. Participants showed improvements in several key areas: negative feelings, a loss of interest, and a lack of motivation. Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings emphasize the mental health benefits associated with regular physical activity. 

“This shows that physical activity has an effect on symptoms and the brain’s ability to change,” Rosenkranz said. “We cannot say to what extent the change in symptoms and the brain’s ability to change are causally linked based on this data. It is known that physical activity does the brain good, as it, for instance, promotes the formation of neuron connections. This could certainly also play a role here.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder explored how consumers’ sleeping habits can impact their risk of depression. According to their findings, waking up just one hour earlier can reduce the risk of depression by more than 20%. 

“We have known for some time that there is a relationship between sleep timing and mood, but a question we often hear from clinicians is: How much earlier do we need to shift people to see a benefit?” said researcher Celine Vetter. “We found that even one-hour earlier sleep timing is associated with a significantly lower risk of depression.” 

How sleep impacts mental health

For the study, the researchers analyzed genetic data from over 850,000 participants. One portion of the group filled out questionnaires about their typical sleeping habits, while another portion wore wearable sleep trackers for one week. The team then combined that information with another dataset of survey responses about mental health and sleep records to determine if being genetically predisposed to waking up earlier impacted depression risk. 

The large majority of the participants didn’t define themselves as either early risers or night owls, as the most common sleep patterns were from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. However, the study also showed that participants that were genetically predisposed to waking up earlier were at a much lower risk for developing depression. 

The researchers learned that putting more of an emphasis on sleep -- even by just one hour -- can have significant impacts. Going to bed at 12 a.m. versus at 1 a.m., while still waking up at 6 a.m., was linked with a 23% lower risk of depression; going to bed at 11 p.m. and maintaining a 6 a.m. wake-up time lowered the risk of depression by 40%. 

The researchers also explained that the sleep midpoint -- the halfway point between sleeping and waking -- is an important factor in mental health. Consumers can lower their risk of depression by more than 20% with each hour earlier they make their sleep midpoint. 

Getting on an earlier schedule

While sleeping can be tricky for many consumers, the researchers recommended some ways to go about adopting an earlier schedule and improving mental health. 

“Keep your days bright and your nights dark,” said Vetter. “Have your morning coffee on the porch. Walk or ride your bike to work if you can, and dim those electronics in the evening.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Uppsala University explored the relationship between teens’ mental health, bullying, and obesity. 

The researchers learned that bullying was a bigger risk factor for teens to develop depression than obesity; however, they did notice differences between teen boys and girls. While girls were more likely to struggle with depression regardless of any outside influences, boys experienced greater mental health struggles when they were also dealing with obesity. 

“The purpose of our study was to investigate the connection between body mass index (BMI) and depressive symptoms, and to take a close look at whether being subjected to bullying affects this relationship over time,” said researcher Sofia Kanders. “We also wanted to investigate whether any gender differences existed.” 

What factors influence depression?

To determine which factors are most likely to affect teens’ mental health, the researchers analyzed responses to the Survey of Adolescent Life in Vastmanland (SALVe) study. This report looked at more than 1,100 survey responses from 2012, 2015, and 2018. In each year, the participants answered questions about their general interests, hobbies, physical and mental health, and height and weight. 

The researchers learned that teen boys and girls had different mental health outcomes. Teen girls were more likely to experience depression-related symptoms than teen boys regardless of any other potentially influential factors, including weight. 

Over the course of the study, the percentage of teen girls with depression symptoms steadily increased; in 2012, 17% of teen girls had depression symptoms, but that number skyrocketed to 34% by 2018. Conversely, the percentage of teen boys that experienced depression symptoms never reached 20% over the entirety of the study. 

Obesity and bullying had a big impact on overall depression rates. Teen boys who had higher BMIs were more likely to experience depressive symptoms than their peers with normal BMIs. Those who were bullied for any reason also had an increased risk of depression-related symptoms at each survey check-in. 

“One key conclusion and take-home message from our study is that bullying can affect mental illness for a long time to come, which therefore makes preventative measures against bullying in schools extremely important,” Kanders said. 

Many parents worry about how much time their teens are spending on the internet. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Concordia University has explored the mental health risks associated with excessive time online. 

According to their findings, there is a strong correlation between teens’ problematic internet use (PIU) and an increased risk of depression. They explained that several factors like loneliness and gender come into play, but mental health can be significantly affected by excessive time online.  

“Our study tries to understand this relationship in a bi-directional or reciprocal way,” said researcher István Tóth-Király. “We think that PIU and depressive symptoms are likely to be co-occurring instead of one determining the other. They likely reinforce one another over time.” 

The link between depression and internet use

To understand the risks between PIU and depression, the researchers followed nearly 2,000 high school aged participants for three years. The group reported on how much time they spent on the internet and how they felt about their social connections, their academic performances, their relationships with their parents or caregivers, and their overall mental health and wellness. 

The researchers learned that those with higher levels of PIU were at an increased risk of developing depression-related symptoms. They also found that several different factors made the participants more likely to spend excessive amounts of time on the internet. 

The study revealed that teens who felt neglected by their parents spent more time on devices. The opposite was also true -- participants who felt more supported and cared for by their parents logged fewer hours online. Both gender and loneliness also played a role in PIU; boys were more likely than girls to spend excessive time on the internet, and those who felt dissatisfied with their personal relationships were also more prone to PIU.

When is internet use problematic? 

Though there are mental health risks associated with excessive screen time, the researchers explained that a lot of internet time isn’t necessarily always problematic. Some teens cycle in and out of spending tons of time online, and they’re able to successfully maintain other areas of their lives, including interpersonal relationships and academic performance. The researchers offered parents some tangible signs to look for that could be an indication of PIU. 

“If adolescents spend a lot of time on the internet but it doesn’t really impact their mental health or their grades or doesn’t seem to have any substantial negative consequences, then we cannot really say this is problematic behaviour,” said Tóth-Király. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Penn State explored factors that could affect the likelihood of teens developing depression. 

According to their findings, young people are less likely to experience depressive symptoms when they have go-to, trusted sources to access health-related information. Gathering information and feeling more knowledgeable can go a long way towards improving kids’ mental health. 

“This study was actually inspired by my students, after several of them came to me really stressed out,” said researcher Bu Zhong. “I know firsthand how widespread depression can be among students, so I was interested in what kind of health information people shared with the young people and if it can help them cope with depression.” 

Relying on trusted sources

The researchers surveyed 310 students about their overall mental health and had them complete a questionnaire about how they typically took in health-related information and what kinds of sources they viewed as credible.

One of the biggest takeaways from this study is that teens who made an effort to stay informed about their health -- and utilized sources that they trusted for that information -- were less likely to experience depression. Having a trusted parent or teacher that kids trusted for the right information led to improved mental health outcomes.

When it came to getting health information from media sources, the results were a little more mixed. While the participants tended to trust social media sources less when it came delivering correct information, these sites actually did have a positive effect on mental health. On the flip side, TV news and newspapers were seen as more reliable resources but delivered fewer benefits to mental health.

“The kids weren’t purposefully being misleading when they said they didn’t trust information online, even though that information was ultimately linked with lower depression,” explained Zhong. “They were probably told by their parents and teachers to be wary of information found online or on social media. But our research found that online content has a strong impact on their health behavior and depression mitigation strategies, which are not found in the traditional media content.” 

Improving mental health

The researchers’ main goal with this study was to uncover new ways for young people to deal with their mental health. Finding the right treatment can be a difficult, ongoing process for many teens, and these findings provide another potential course of action for managing depression symptoms. 

“Our research is interested in providing long-term health outcomes, not just temporary relief,” Zhong said. “So we’re looking for anything in addition to drugs, in addition to therapy, that can help people with their depression, and this offers another possibility. It may not be able to remove all the stressors causing teen depression, but it’s possible we could equip adolescents with better health information gathering skills to help battle depression.” 

Getting quality sleep each night can be challenging for many consumers. Unfortunately, poor sleep can affect both physical and mental health --even from a very young age. 

In a recent study conducted by researchers from Michigan Medicine, wearable devices and smartphone apps were used to track the effect that sleep had on mental health. They learned that consumers who don’t maintain consistent sleeping patterns are more likely to struggle with depression and have generally worse moods. 

“These findings highlight sleep consistency as an underappreciated factor to target in depression and wellness,” said researcher Dr. Srijan Sen. “The work also underscores the potential of wearable devices in understanding important constructs relevant to health that we previously could not study at scale.” 

Changes in sleeping and waking time disturb mental health

The researchers had over 2,100 early-career doctors wear sleep trackers and use a smartphone app each morning to record their overall mood for one year. Their mental health was evaluated every few months using a popular assessment that gauges depression. 

The researchers found a direct correlation between participants who had the greatest inconsistencies in their sleeping habits and those who were at the greatest risk of depression and poor moods. 

While this demographic of participants was particularly susceptible to a demanding work schedule and varying sleep routines, the study showed that their mental health suffered when they went to bed or woke up at different times each day. Simply not getting enough sleep or going to bed late also contributed to poorer mental health and wellness outcomes. 

On the other hand, the researchers noted some factors that led to improved mental health among the participants. Sleeping longer each night, going to bed earlier, and having fewer changes to time spent sleeping were all associated with better moods in the morning and long-term. 

Though these findings focus on one specific group, the researchers hope that all consumers recognize the important connection that exists between sleeping habits and mental health and wellness. Working to create a stable and consistent sleep routine can be a great benefit for consumers. 

“The advanced wearable technology allows us to study the behavioral and psychological factors of mental health, including sleep, at a much larger scale and more accurately than before, opening up an exciting field for us to explore,” said researcher Yu Fang. “Our findings aim not only to guide self-management on sleep habits, but also to inform institutional scheduling structures.” 

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected consumers’ mental health over the last year. Now, researchers from Boston University are exploring the specific mental health challenges that college students are facing. 

The researchers found that conditions like depression and anxiety, and feelings of loneliness, are higher than ever among college students. While the pandemic certainly comes into play, the team thinks that these findings should be considered in a broader context of mental health struggles. 

“Half of students in fall 2020 screened positive for depression and/or anxiety,” said researcher Sarah Ketchen Lipson. “I think mental health is getting worse [across the U.S. population], and on top of that we are now gathering more data on these trends than ever before. People are being more open, having more dialogue about it, and we’re able to better identify that people are struggling.” 

Widespread mental health concerns

The researchers conducted a survey of nearly 33,000 college students to better understand what mental health struggles they’re experiencing. The survey asked general questions about the participants’ mental health and also touched on how stressors affected their day-to-day lives. 

The large majority of the students involved in the study reported struggling with mental health and feelings of isolation, and these experiences often impacted their daily routines. More than 80 percent of the students shared that their mental health was a roadblock in completing assignments and handling other academic responsibilities. 

Now knowing this, the researchers are calling on professors to make adjustments that can benefit their students’ mental health. Making assignments due earlier in the day can take the pressure off students to stay up all night, and gentle reminders about students’ worth outside of the classroom can leave a long-lasting positive impact. 

“Even in larger classes, where 1:1 outreach is more difficult, instructors can send classwide emails reinforcing the idea that they care about their students not just as learners, but as people, and circulating information about campus resources for mental health and wellness,” Lipson said. 

Utilizing mental health resources

Stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic or mounting student loan debt aren’t likely to disappear all at once, which makes it even more important for college students to utilize the mental health services that are available to them. Though half of the students involved in the survey were worried about what their peers would think about them seeking out mental health services, nearly 95 percent of the students said that they wouldn’t think differently of their peers for getting help for their mental health. 

The researchers hope that these findings inspire more young people to use the resources available to them before they reach crisis-level. Finding healthy ways to cope with and manage anxiety and depression can benefit college students beyond their four years of school. 

“Often students will only seek help when they find themselves in a mental health crisis, requiring more urgent resources,” said Lipson. “But how can we create systems to foster wellness before they reach that point? All students should receive mental health education, ideally as part of the required curriculum.” 

With the new year just underway, many consumers are focusing on eating healthy. According to a new study conducted by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), a good place for women to start is by incorporating more fiber into their diets.

According to their findings, higher dietary fiber intake was associated with a reduced risk of depression for premenopausal women. 

“This study highlights an important link between dietary fiber intake and depression, but the direction of the association is unclear in this observational study, such that women with better mental health may have had a healthier diet and consumed more fiber, or a higher dietary fiber intake may have contributed to improved brain health by modulating the gut microbiome or some combination,” said researcher Dr. Stephanie Faubion. 

“Nonetheless, it has never been more true that ‘you are what you eat,’ given that what we eat has a profound effect on the gut microbiome which appears to play a key role in health and disease.” 

The link between diet and mental health

To understand how dietary fiber intake can affect depression risk, the researchers had over 5,800 women report on their diets over the course of several 24-hour windows. They also responded to questionnaires that gauged their risk for depression. 

The study revealed that dietary fiber played a large role in depression risk for premenopausal women, but not for postmenopausal women. The researchers found that the risk of depression was lowest in the premenopausal women who consumed the most dietary fiber. However, regardless of their dietary fiber intake, that association didn’t exist with postmenopausal women. 

The researchers explained that the change in hormone levels women experience between premenopause and postmenopause could explain the difference in diet and depression risk. Estrogen is responsible for changing the microorganisms in the gut, and the loss of the reproductive hormone during menopause can ultimately affect how the brain and the body process food. 

Ultimately, dietary fiber doesn’t increase the risk for depression in postmenopausal women, but they aren’t experiencing the same benefits from foods high in fiber the same way that premenopausal women are. For women looking to incorporate foods higher in dietary fiber into their diets, the researchers recommend eating more fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and whole grains. 

The researchers hope that these findings offer consumers a different approach to targeting depression because a change in diet can greatly affect mental health outcomes.