Study Shows Spending 90 Minutes a Day in Outdoor Light Reduces Depression Risk, Regardless of Genetic Susceptibility: Translational Psychiatry

2023-06-19 06:12:33

A new study finds that people who spend 90 minutes a day in outdoor light are less likely to be depressed, regardless of their genetic susceptibility to this mental illness.

The study showed that moderate time spent in outdoor natural lighting contributes to reducing the risk of depression even in people who have a higher genetic risk of depression.

This study was published in the journal “Translational Psychiatry”, and was reported by the “PsyPost” website, which specializes in psychology news.

Genetic factors increase the risk of depression, but it is unclear whether this association can be compensated for by time spent in outdoor lighting.

The study was conducted to find out the optimal time spent in outdoor lighting to reduce the risk of depression, in addition to the common link between time spent in outdoor light and the genetic risk of the disease.

Depression is a common mental health condition affecting millions of people worldwide. It involves a range of emotional, cognitive and physical symptoms such as feeling sad, tired, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, and lack of motivation.

The researchers analyzed the data of 380,976 British participants, whose ages ranged between 38 and 73 years, at the beginning of the study, which lasted for more than 12 years. An average of 3.58 percent of the participants were depressed during the research period.

The study found that those who spend an average of an hour and a half a day outside, which equates to one hour a day in the winter and two hours a day in the summer.

However, spending time longer or less than an hour and a half is associated with an increased risk of developing this mental illness.

The study revealed that those who spend less time than that have a 9 percent higher risk of depression, while those who spend more than an hour and a half a day have a 13 percent higher risk of illness. The risk difference increases by up to 35 percent when combined with genetic factors.