Blood Test For Depression Is A Step Closer, Researchers Think (M)
Despite the optimistic note of this study, many scientists believe a blood test for depression is impossible.
Category: Depression
Depression Stigma Is Dropping – But Increasing For Other Mental Illnesses (M)
Stigma can translate into feelings of worthlessness among people with depression and perpetuate depressive feelings.
What Most People Wear When Depressed (M)
…and what people wear when they are happy.
Omega-3 Supplements Fail To Reduce Depression Risk (M)
While early studies suggested omega-3 supplements could help fight depression, the tide of evidence is turning against them for mental health outcomes.
This Many Mushrooms Lowers Depression Risk By One-Third
The antioxidants in mushrooms likely help to prevent against various mental illnesses.
The antioxidants in mushrooms likely help to prevent against various mental illnesses.
Mushrooms could reduce the risk of depression substantially, a study suggests.
People who eat around 5 g per day of mushrooms, on average, have a 31 percent lower risk of developing depression symptoms.
A portion of mushrooms is around 80 g, suggesting that eating them once a week is all that is required to gain the benefit.
The researchers found no additional benefit to depression in eating more than a moderate amount of mushrooms.
Dr Djibril Ba, the study’s first author, said:
“Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothioneine — an anti-inflammatory which cannot be synthesized by humans.
Having high levels of this may lower the risk of oxidative stress, which could also reduce the symptoms of depression.”
Other studies have shown that antioxidants help to prevent mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
The study included over 24,000 people in the U.S. whose diet and mental health was tracked over more than a decade.
The study did not differentiate between the benefits of different types of mushrooms.
However, white button mushrooms, one of the most common types eaten in the U.S., have previously been linked to lower levels of anxiety.
Professor Joshua Muscat, study co-author, said:
“The study adds to the growing list of possible health benefits of eating mushrooms.”
The humble mushroom, now known as a ‘superfood’, has already been linked to weight loss and lowering the risk of both cancer and premature death.
Mushrooms halve risk of memory loss
Another recent study found that two portions of mushrooms a week halve the risk of memory loss (Feng et al., 2019).
Mild cognitive impairment, as it is known, is frequently a precursor to dementia.
It involves forgetfulness, along with problems with language and attention.
Older people eating around half a plate of mushrooms per week, though, were at half the risk of developing the condition.
Even one small portion of mushrooms a week may be enough to have a meaningful effect.
The study was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders (Ba et al., 2021).
The Drink That Really Is A Rapid Antidepressant (M)
The most well-known effect of this drink confirmed by research.
How Depression Is Linked To Social Media Use
Social media use does not predict later depression, research finds.
Social media use does not predict later depression, research finds.
Using social media does not predict the onset of depression, research finds.
The conclusion contradicts previous studies claiming that social media use causes depression.
The study, unlike previous investigations, followed people for up to six years to see which came first, social media use or depression.
The results showed that heavier social media users did not become more depressed later on.
However, one group of young people (adolescent girls) who were already depressed did end up using social media more.
This suggests social media use does not cause depression, but could be a way of dealing with it (whether successful or not).
Ms Taylor Heffer, the study’s first author, said:
“This finding contrasts with the idea that people who use a lot of social media become more depressed over time.
Instead, adolescent girls who are feeling down may turn to social media to try and make themselves feel better.”
The study followed 594 Canadian children from the 6th, 7th and 8th grades for two years, as well as 1,132 undergraduate students for six years.
Ms Heffer explained the reasoning behind this strategy:
“You have to follow the same people over time in order to draw the conclusion that social media use predicts greater depressive symptoms.
By using two large longitudinal samples, we were able to empirically test that assumption.”
The results showed that social media use did not predict later depression.
However, specifically among adolescent girls, being depressed predicted increasing use of social media.
Ms Heffer said:
“There may be different groups of people who use social media for different reasons.
For example, there may be a group of people who use social media to make social comparisons or turn to it when they are feeling down, while another group of people may use it for more positive reasons, such as keeping in contact with friends.”
The study was published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science (Heffer et al., 2019).
The 5 Life Skills Linked To Lower Depression Rates (M)
Both physical and mental health was better among people with these 5 life skills.
Depression Linked To What You’re Probably Doing Right Now (M)
The research tracked people during the start of the pandemic as stay-at-home orders forced them into more sedentary lifestyles.
The Common Physical Signs Of Depression (M)
Physical symptoms of depression are particularly prevalent among people with a genetic susceptibility to depression.
