Research reveals potential lesser-known sign of depression

Depression, loss of pleasure, sleep disorders, reduced energy, loss of self-confidence, low self-esteem and hopelessness about the future are all symptoms that could be a sign of depression, according to Ameli.fr, France’s public health insurance organsation.

The World Health Organization, meanwhile, cites additional signs such as excessive feelings of guilt and suicidal thoughts, and estimates that 5% of adults worldwide suffer from depression.

Now another indicator, this time a physical one, could alert people to a potential state of depression: their body temperature.

These are the findings of researchers from the University of California, who set out to determine whether there was a link between body temperature and depression. The scientists analysed data from 20,880 participants from 106 countries with an average age of 47.

They wore body-temperature monitors, and were asked to report their temperature and potential symptoms of depression daily, over a period of seven months.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the research suggests that people suffering from depression have higher body temperatures. In detail, the researchers report that as depression-related symptoms worsen, participants’ body temperature increases.

“The body-temperature data also showed a trend toward higher depression scores in people whose temperatures had less fluctuation throughout a 24-hour period, but this finding didn’t reach significance,” an accompanying news release explains.

However, the researchers were unable to determine whether the rise in body temperature was a cause or a consequence of depression. Still, this does not prevent them from advancing the hypothesis of a possible “novel depression treatment method” that involves lowering the body temperatures of those concerned.

In particular, they evoke the use of jacuzzis or saunas to achieve this by stimulating self-cooling in the body.

“Ironically, heating people up actually can lead to rebound body-temperature lowering that lasts longer than simply cooling people down directly, as through an ice bath,” says study lead author Ashley Mason, a professor of psychiatry and clinical psychologist.

“To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date to examine the association between body temperature – assessed using both self-report methods and wearable sensors – and depressive symptoms in a geographically broad sample.

“Given the climbing rates of depression in the United States and elsewhere, we’re excited by the possibilities of a new avenue for treatment,” Mason concluded.