Body temperature is linked to depression: New Research

Washington DC: A recent research study conducted by UC San Francisco suggests a potential connection between depression and elevated body temperatures. The study, published in Scientific Reports, explores the idea that lowering body temperatures in individuals with depression may offer mental health benefits.

Uncertain Relationship Between Depression and Body Temperature
The research does not conclusively determine whether depression causes an increase in body temperature or if higher temperatures contribute to the onset of depression. Additionally, it remains unclear whether the observed elevated body temperatures are a result of reduced self-cooling abilities, increased heat generation from metabolic processes, or a combination of both factors.

Comprehensive Analysis of Global Participants
Researchers gathered data from over 20,000 participants across 106 countries. Participants wore a device to measure body temperature and provided daily self-reports on both their temperatures and depression symptoms. The seven-month study, initiated in early 2020, revealed a notable correlation between depression severity and higher body temperatures.

Temperature Fluctuations and Depression Scores
The study also found a potential association between depression scores and the variability of body temperatures throughout a 24-hour period. Although this trend did not reach statistical significance, it suggests a connection between body temperature patterns and depression severity.

Implications for Depression Treatment
Lead author Ashley Mason, PhD, and associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, sees potential implications for novel depression treatment methods. Existing studies have indicated that heat-based treatments, such as hot tubs or saunas, may alleviate depression symptoms, possibly by prompting the body to self-cool through processes like sweating.

Exploring Heat-Based Treatments
Mason points out the irony that increasing body temperature can lead to a more prolonged decrease in body temperature, surpassing the direct cooling effect of methods like ice baths. The study suggests the possibility of tracking the body temperature of individuals with depression to optimize the timing of heat-based treatments.

Largest Study to Date on Body Temperature and Depression
Mason emphasizes that this study represents the most extensive examination of the association between body temperature and depressive symptoms. The findings open up new avenues for exploring heat-based interventions as potential treatments for depression, particularly considering the rising rates of depression in the United States.

 (With ANI inputs)