Depression in adults
With life being more complicated everyday, depression has been increasing in people across the world over the years and decades. However, the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures taken to contain it have significantly increased rates of stress, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation among people across the world.
Scientists and researchers are trying to search effective preventive measures to recognize and contain depression in people at early stages. Loneliness sometimes plays a pivotal role to make people fall prey to the illness of depression. Therefore, it is important for us to stay connected with others to reduce risk.
Social connection eases depression in adults
Social connection can be a big help in saving people from depression, says a study. It is the most significant protective measure against depression in adults, even in those facing early childhood stress or having a family history of depression, says the study of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
The study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, was based on the responses of 1,00,000 respondents. The research analyzed a number of external factors, such as social interaction, media use, sleep patterns, diet, physical activity, and environmental exposures, that may be associated with depression.
Confiding in others and visits of family and friends are the factors that are part of most protective tools – social connections or social cohesion, say researchers. Coronavirus stay-at-home has made challenging the most effective measure – in-person social connection. However, confiding in a friend, near and dear ones or a therapist may still help manage depressive feelings.
Watching TV and daytime naps
There are other external factors that can increase your depressive feelings. The external factors like watching television and taking naps throughout the day may have biggest impact in increasing depressive feelings. Reduction in these two activities can help decrease depression level, say the researchers.
However, the overall effects of watching TV or daytime naps have not been understood by the study. Weather media exposure or sedentary activity of watching TV is responsible for depression in people, this needs more research. Also, the study could not make an understandable relation between depression and daytime nap.
In the times of coronavirus lockdown, people are having less social connection. Moreover, they are spending more time in watching television and taking nap in day time. While isolating yourself from family and friends, the relevancy of these factors has increased in current times, said the researchers.
Insomnia in older people
Lack of sleep is believed to be increasing potential risk factor of mood disorders. Older depressed people, if also facing persistent and worsening sleep disturbances, may be at much higher risk of continue being in depression, says another study. About 600 respondents of over 60 years in age with minor to major depression participated in the research.
In comparison with respondents whose sleep improved, the patients with worsening insomnia were more prone to develop minor depression, and also more likely to report suicidal thoughts at the end of the year, says the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research, published online in Sleep journal.
The patients, whose insomnia persisted without worsening, were also likely to develop minor to major depression. But they were at comparatively low risk. Persistent and worsening insomnia takes older adults with depression to high risk of persistent depression and suicidal ideation, said the researchers.
There are a number of basic symptoms of depression, including mood, sleep and appetite disorders. They can create high risk factors for the patient’s persistently remaining depressive. People in depression need to improve their sleeping habits and social connection among other factors. Also, they need to reduce watching TV and daytime napping to decrease depression risks.