The Tiny Amount Of Exercise That Cuts Depression Risk 44%

Even relatively small amounts of exercise can help reduce the risk of developing depression.

Even relatively small amounts of exercise can help reduce the risk of developing depression.

Only one hour of exercise per week is enough to help prevent depression, research finds.

In the largest survey of its kind, the anxiety and depression levels of 33,908 Norwegians were monitored for more than 11 years.

The researchers concluded that just one hour of exercise a week reduced the chances of developing depression by a massive 44 percent.

Dr Samuel Harvey, the study’s lead author, said:

“We’ve known for some time that exercise has a role to play in treating symptoms of depression, but this is the first time we have been able to quantify the preventative potential of physical activity in terms of reducing future levels of depression.”

The researchers also estimated that one hour of exercise would have prevented 12 percent of depression cases that occurred in their study.

Dr Harvey said:

“These findings are exciting because they show that even relatively small amounts of exercise — from one hour per week — can deliver significant protection against depression.”

Fascinatingly, that first hour of exercise turned out to be crucial, said Dr Harvey:

“Most of the mental health benefits of exercise are realised within the first hour undertaken each week.

With sedentary lifestyles becoming the norm worldwide, and rates of depression growing, these results are particularly pertinent as they highlight that even small lifestyle changes can reap significant mental health benefits.”

It is not known exactly why exercise has such a positive effect on mood disorders, said Dr Harvey:

“We are still trying to determine exactly why exercise can have this protective effect, but we believe it is from the combined impact of the various physical and social benefits of physical activity.

These results highlight the great potential to integrate exercise into individual mental health plans and broader public health campaigns.

If we can find ways to increase the population’s level of physical activity even by a small amount, then this is likely to bring substantial physical and mental health benefits.”

The study was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (Harvey et al., 2017).

The Major Personality Trait Linked To Depression Risk

The conclusion comes from 21,000 Swedish twins who completed personality tests.

The conclusion comes from 21,000 Swedish twins who completed personality tests.

Negative emotionality is the strongest risk factor for depression among personality traits, research finds.

Negative emotionality is essentially being highly neurotic and involves finding it hard to deal with stress and experiencing a lot of negative emotions and mood swings.

People who are neurotic are more likely to experience negative emotions like fear, jealousy, guilt, worry and envy.

Some neurotic people can be quite shy and self-conscious.

The good news is that a depressive personality can be changed, contrary to what many people think.

The study’s authors write:

“…personality is at least somewhat malleable, especially in youth, but may forecast the onset of depression years in advance, which makes traits a potentially attractive means of identifying individuals at risk and informing selection of interventions.”

In addition, other aspects of personality can protect against the disadvantages of negative emotionality.

Being high in conscientiousness and an extravert together has a protective effect on people who are highly neurotic.

The conclusion comes from two studies — one looked at around 21,000 Swedish twins who completed personality tests.

They were followed up over 25 years later and asked about any experience of depression.

The results revealed that negative emotionality was key and that genetic factors were important in the development of depression.

Professor Kenneth S. Kendler, who led the study, said:

“The personality trait of neuroticism – perhaps better understood as “negative emotionality” is a strong risk factor of major depression.

Our study shows that this occurs largely because levels of neuroticism are an index of the genetic liability to depression.”

The second study reviewed many other studies on the link between personality and depression.

It also found that neuroticism or negative emotionality is strongly linked to depression.

The authors conclude that:

“Current evidence suggests that depression is linked to traits such as neuroticism/negative emotionality, extraversion/positive emotionality, and conscientiousness.

Moreover, personality characteristics appear to contribute to the onset and course of depression through a variety of pathways.”

Although links are sometimes found between depression and being introverted, as well as being low on conscientiousness, it is neuroticism that has the greatest link to depression.

The studies were was published in the journals Annual Review of Clinical Psychology and Archives of General Psychiatry (Klein et al., 2011; Kendler et al., 2006).

These Thoughts Are A Clear Sign Of Depression

Why these thoughts make some people depressed, while others quickly dismiss them.

Why these thoughts make some people depressed, while others quickly dismiss them.

“Sticky thoughts” are the hallmark of depression, research finds.

Bad things happen to most of us at some point, but some people take it worse than others.

This is partly down to the inability to mentally turn away from them.

Thoughts about negative experiences can get ‘stuck’ in the brain.

Professor Jutta Joormann, the study’s first author, explained what happens in the minds of depressed people:

“They basically get stuck in a mindset where they relive what happened to them over and over again.

Even though they think, oh, it’s not helpful, I should stop thinking about this, I should get on with my life — they can’t stop doing it.”

The researchers compared the working memory of 26 people diagnosed with depression to 27 people who were depression-free.

Working memory refers to the thoughts that are active in your mind at this very moment.

Our present-moment experience, therefore, is highly dependent on how our working memory operates.

All the people in the study did a test that required them to think flexibly.

In other words, it required them to turn their attention from one subject to another.

The results showed that depressed people had particular problems turning their minds away from negative thoughts.

For example, if they were reminded of ‘death’ or ‘sadness’, their minds got stuck on these ideas and couldn’t change to focus on something else.

Professor Joormann said:

“The order of the words sort of gets stuck in their working memory, especially when the words are negative.”

People who were susceptible to getting these ‘stuck thoughts’ were also likely to ruminate more on their problems.

One way out of this trap is to first, learn to notice when this is happening.

Secondly, it is vital to refocus the attention elsewhere.

The study was published in the journal Psychological Science (Joormann et al., 2011).

How Mental Health Issues Fuel Stressful Situations And How To Break The Cycle (M)

While life throws stressful events at as all, those with mental illness generate some of their own.

While life throws stressful events at as all, those with mental illness generate some of their own.


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This Type Of Yoga Reduces Severe Depression By 50% (M)

Almost two-thirds of patients experienced 50 percent decreases in their moderate-to-severe depression symptoms.

Almost two-thirds of patients experienced 50 percent decreases in their moderate-to-severe depression symptoms.


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These Feelings May Be Early Signs Of Memory Loss

The more mental health problems people had early on, the greater their memory problems in later life.

The more mental health problems people had early on, the greater their memory problems in later life.

Episodes of depression early in life are linked to memory loss later on, research finds.

People who experience depression and anxiety in their 20s, 30s and 40s tend to develop memory problems in their 50s.

It suggests depression might lead to dementia in later life.

Tackling depression and anxiety in young adulthood may help to reduce memory problems as well as the risk of dementia.

Approaches such as meditation, exercise and maintaining strong relationships can all help.

Dr. Darya Gaysina, study co-author, said:

“We found that the more episodes of depression people experience in their adulthood, the higher risk of cognitive impairment they have later in life.

This finding highlights the importance of effective management of depression to prevent the development of recurrent mental health problems with long-term negative outcomes.”

The conclusions come from a study that followed over 18,000 babies born in 1958, who have been followed into adulthood.

The results showed that the more mental health problems people had early on, the greater their memory problems in later life.

A single episode of depression or anxiety had little effect later on.

However, two or three episodes in their 20s, 30s or 40s were linked to worse memory function in their 50s.

Ms Amber John, the study’s first author, said:

“We knew from previous research that depressive symptoms experienced in mid adulthood to late adulthood can predict a decline in brain function in later life but we were surprised to see just how clearly persistent depressive symptoms across three decades of adulthood are an important predictor of poorer memory function in mid-life.

…this research should be a wake up call to do what you can to protect your mental health, such as maintaining strong relationships with friends and family, taking up physical exercise or practicing mindfulness meditation—all of which have been shown to boost mental health.”

The study was published in the The British Journal of Psychiatry (John et al., 2019).

80% Say This Improves Their Depression And Anxiety Most Of The Time

If it works so well, why do so few people do it?

If it works so well, why do so few people do it?

Over 80 percent of people experiencing depression say exercise improves their mood and anxiety most of the time.

Yet only around one-third actually reach the recommended exercise levels of at least 150 minutes per week.

Unfortunately, around half of people find that low mood makes it difficult to get motivated to exercise.

Dr Carol Janney, who led the study, said:

“Physical activity has been shown to be effective in alleviating mild to moderate depression and anxiety.

Current physical activity guidelines advise at least 30 minutes, five days a week to promote mental and physical health, yet many of those surveyed weren’t meeting these recommendations.”

Exercise not emphasised

The survey of 295 people receiving treatment at a mental health clinic found that over half were open to paying more for a personal trainer.

Many said exercise was not emphasised by their physician as a treatment for depression.

Professor Marcia Valenstein, study co-author, said:

“This is a missed opportunity.

If we can make it easier for both therapists and their patients to have easier access to physical activity services, then we are likely to help more patients reduce their depression and anxiety.”

Few people with depression are given a comprehensive exercise plan by their health provider.

Dr Janney said:

“Offering physical activity programs inside the mental health clinics may be one of many patient-centered approaches that can improve the mental and physical health of patients.

Mental health treatment programs need to partner with fitness programs to support their patients’ willingness to exercise more.

This support might come from integrating personal trainers into mental health clinics or having strong partnerships with the YMCA or other community recreational facilities.”

Dr Janney continued:

“Mental health providers such as psychiatrists and therapists may not have the necessary training to prescribe physical activity as part of their mental health practice.

But by teaming up with certified personal trainers or other exercise programs, it may help them prescribe or offer more recommendations for physical activity in the clinic setting.”

The study was published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry (Janney et al., 2017).

Social Media Posts Can Reveal The Signs Of Depression

Posting this type of image online is linked to depression.

Posting this type of image online is linked to depression.

People who are depressed can be identified from their social media photos 70 percent of the time, research finds.

Depressed people have a tendency to post (literally) darker pictures.

They are also more likely to use a filter to convert their images to black-and-white.

Dr Christopher Danforth, who co-authored the study, explained the signs to look for:

“Our analysis of user accounts from a popular social media app revealed that photos posted by people diagnosed with depression tended to be darker in color, received more comments from the community, were more likely to contain faces and less likely to have a filter applied.

When they did select a filter they were more likely to use the filter that converted color images to black and white.

People diagnosed with depression also posted at a higher frequency compared to non-depressed individuals.”

The relatively high rate of accuracy is impressive.

Especially given that it is a considerably higher rate than general practitioners, who only manage the correct diagnosis 42 percent of the time.

Dr Danforth imagines an app that will suggest a check-up when it detects you might be depressed:

“With an increasing share of our social interactions happening online, the potential for algorithmic identification of early-warning signs for a host of mental and physical illnesses is enormous.

Imagine an app you can install on your phone that pings your doctor for a check-up when your behavior changes for the worse, potentially before you even realize there is a problem.”

The study included 43,950 photos from 166 users of the social media app Instagram.

Around half of them had a clinical diagnosis of depression.

The photos were then analysed by a computer program to see if it could work out who was depressed.

Dr Andrew Reece, who co-authored the study, said:

“Although we had a relatively small sample size, we were able to reliably observe differences in features of social media posts between depressed and non-depressed individuals.

Importantly, we also demonstrate that the markers of depression can be observed in posts made prior to the person receiving a clinical diagnosis of depression.”

The study was published in the journal EPJ Data Science (Reece & Danforth, 2017).