All of us have choices to be sad or happy each day. We can either choose activities that make us feel good and settled, or activities that make us feel bad and uneasy. But because we cannot go outside, and we are encouraged to distance ourselves from each other, our choices have become very limited these days. With this in mind, our natural mood regulation is impaired, which, according to scientists, might result in depression.
New research, published [two days ago] in JAMA Psychiatry, from the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford suggests a new target for treating and reducing depression is supporting natural mood regulation.
This new study looked at 58,328 participants from low, middle and high income countries, comparing people with low mood or a history of depression with those of high mood. In a series of analyses, the study investigated how people regulate their mood through their choice of everyday activities. In the general population, there is a strong link between how people currently feel and what activities they choose to engage in next. This mechanism – mood homeostasis, the ability to stabilise mood via activities – is impaired in people with low mood and may even be absent in people who have ever been diagnosed with depression.
More details about this over at Neuroscience News.
(Image Credit: Pixabay)
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