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Being physically active lowers the risk of depression by 16 percent, according to a University of College London study.
The researchers said that people, who were physically active at least three times a week, reported fewer depressive symptoms. And those with more symptoms were less active, particularly at younger ages.
Scientists from University College London (UCL) followed 11,135 people born in 1958 up until the age of 50, recording depressive symptoms and levels of physical activity at regular intervals in adulthood. They found that each additional activity session per week reduced the likelihood of depression by 6%.
Lead author Dr Snehal Pinto Pereira, of the UCL Institute of Child Health, said: “Assuming the association is causal, leisure time physical activity has a protective effect against depression. If an adult between their twenties and forties who isn’t physically active became active three times per week, they would reduce their risk of depression by approximately 16%.
“Importantly, this effect was seen across the whole population and not just in those at high risk of clinical depression. The more physically active people were, the fewer depressive symptoms they reported.”
To assess depressive symptoms, the researchers looked at participants’ responses to the Malaise Inventory, a questionnaire designed to assess psychological distress at ages 23, 33, 42, and 50 years. The participants were also asked how often they were physically active.
The study showed that people who reported more depressive symptoms at age 23 tended to be less physically active, but this effect weakened as they grew older.
Dr Pereira said: “This finding is important for policies designed to get people more active, because it suggests that depressive symptoms could be considered a barrier to activity in young adulthood.”
By contrast, increasing the frequency of activity consistently reduced depressive symptoms across the entire age range. Previous studies investigating activity as a treatment for depression have produced mixed results.
Professor Chris Power, professor of epidemiology and public health at the UCL Institute of Child Health, said: “If everyone was physically active at least three times a week we would expect to see a drop in depression risk, not to mention the benefits for physical health, as pointed out by other research, including reduced obesity, heart disease and diabetes risk.”
Agencies/Canadajournal
