In a new studyTrusted Source published this week in the journal, Nature Mental Health, researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University, identified seven healthy lifestyle factors that are protective against depression.The seven factors investigated were:
smoking
diet
exercise level
sleep
sedentary behavior
social connectedness
alcohol consumption
The researchers also used biological markers such as triglycerides (the most common form of fat in the body), and c-reactive protein (an indicator of inflammation), as well as changes in brain structure as indicators of the biological mechanisms of depression on the body and brain.“We discovered that having a healthy lifestyle reduced the risk of depression by 57%. Changing our behaviors and developing a healthy lifestyle is something that we can do for ourselves to lower the risk of depression,” Dr. Barbara J. Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry and lead study author, told Healthline.
Sahakian and her team utilized the UK Biobank, a medical research database containing anonymous health and lifestyle information about its participants.They examined the data from 287,282 participants for their research, out of which roughly 13,000 had depression, and followed them over a nine-year period.Dr. Scott Glassman, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania and the Director of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.Glassman, who was not affiliated with the study, said the recent findings speak to the myriad ways in which lifestyle behaviors can affect mental health and the simple ways people can address them.
