University of California, San Francisco
The mood disorder descends suddenly or may follow the heels of defeat or personal loss, causing persistent feelings of sadness, worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness, pessimism, or guilt. Depression also interferes with everyday functioning.
Because of its complexity, depression has been elusive. There is mounting evidence that depression is a necessary defense strategy of the body that is meant to preserve our energy and help us survive the harsh world.
Research links it to diet, inadequate consumption of nutrients such as omega-3 fats, and bacteria that populate the gut. Depression involves mood and thoughts as well as the body, and it causes pain for both those living with the disorder and those who care about them.
Sadness, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness feelings of worthlessness, or helplessness.
It can also involve a loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed,
Decreased energy, fatigue,
Restlessness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
People with depression may experience disruptions in sleep (early morning awakening or oversleeping)
Disrupted eating behavior, weight loss, or gain.
Persistent physical symptoms may include headaches, digestive disorders, and pain.
Data from 20,880 people in 106 countries was gathered in seven months and examined for the study. According to the research, some people may have higher body temperatures than others when they are depressed.
To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date to examine the association between body temperature – assessed using both self-report methods and wearable sensors – and depressive symptoms in a geographically broad sampleAshley MasonPhD, the study's lead author and associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.
This new connection may result in easy ways to treat the symptoms of depression. The treatment of millions of people worldwide may change if more research confirms the notion that cooling therapy may help those suffering from depression.
Data showed that our self-reported depression symptoms became more severe with higher body temperature. There was also some association between higher depression scores and lower daily temperature fluctuations. Depression is a complex and multifaceted condition. With lots of triggers, body temperature could play a role. Previous research has shown that hot yoga, hot tubs, and saunas lessen the symptoms of depression. Ironically, heating people actually can lead to rebound body temperature lowering that lasts longer than simply cooling people down directly, as through an ice bath,"
Around 5% of people in the world live with depression. And efforts to understand and effectively treat it are now more urgent than ever. Each discovery brings more hope in tackling the problem.
Reference:
1. Mason, A.E., Kasl, P., Soltani, S. et al. Elevated body temperature is associated with depressive symptoms: results from the TemPredict Study. Sci Rep 14, 1884 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51567-w
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(Rehash/Dr. Swati Sharma/MSM)