Depression linked to internal jet lag study finds
Circadian rhythms controlling sleep were out of sync in a quarter of young people with depression in this Sydney-based study. Read more
sydney.edu.au
A University of Sydney team peered into the “internal jet lag” of 69 young people in mental health care and found that nearly a quarter showed circadian rhythms (melatonin, cortisol and body temperature) out of sync—just like you’d expect after hopping time zones, even though they hadn’t travelled. The more their internal clocks were misaligned, the worse their depression scores.
By running overnight tests in a chronobiology lab (complete with swallowed temperature sensors and saliva samples), researchers suggest that future treatments for mood disorders could zero in on body-clock realignment. It’s early days, but this fresh angle might help us rethink how to tackle depression and bipolar in teens and young adults.
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