Social life, the Key to Preventing Depression Page all

KOMPAS.com – Depression being one of the conditions that many people experience during pandemic Covid-19.

However, that doesn’t mean we can’t prevent this condition.

A recent study revealed that if we have a strong social life, that is the key to prevention depression.

Also read: Michelle Obama Experienced Mild Depression During the Pandemic

Research team from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard University looked at the various factors associated with depression risk.

They then collected data on more than 100,000 participants at the UK Biobank.

The factors referred to in the data include sleep patterns, physical activity, diet, social interactions, and media use.

The results of this study were published on Friday (14/8/2020) at The American Journal of Psychiatry.

In it, the researchers concluded, telling stories to others and visiting family or friends can protect us from depression.

They also say cutting back on long periods of sitting watching television – for example, and taking naps can also help prevent depression.

“The most prominent of all these factors is the frequency of communication with other people.”

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“But also visits from family and friends, which show an important protective effect from social relations and social cohesion. “

Thus said Dr. Jordan Smoller, senior study author and associate head for research in the MGH Department of Psychiatry.

“These factors are now more relevant than ever in the context of social distancing and separation from friends and family.”

The researchers said further study was needed to find out why watching television causes depression.

“Additional research is needed to determine whether the risk due to media exposure or time in front of the television is the reason someone does not move.”

“A tendency to take naps and regular multivitamin use appears to be associated with depression risk.”

“However, more research is needed to determine how this could contribute,” Smoller said.

Also read: Probiotics Help Get Rid of Sadness and Symptoms of Depression

Karmel Choi, researcher at Department of Psychiatry and Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, and study authors say depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide.

“Until now researchers have focused on a number of risk and protective factors, in only one or two domains,” Choi said.

“Our study provides the most comprehensive picture to date of modifiable factors that can influence depression risk.”

The researchers’ approach involved two stages, including a statistical approach to finding causal associations with depression risk.

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