Australian researchers identify circadian depression as a distinct subtype of mental illness

Australian researchers have identified a new subtype of depression linked to disruptions in the internal body clock of patients, the Guardian reported. The study classified this condition as circadian depression and found that it affects nearly 23 percent of individuals living with severe depression. [1]

The research was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry and analyzed clinical and genetic data from 11,380 Australian participants who mostly experienced severe and recurrent depression. Scientists involved in the study believe this specific subtype is less responsive to traditional antidepressant treatments. [1]

Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities. The condition causes the second-most years lived with disability globally, trailing only lower back pain. [2]

As FTMQ Health reported earlier, Australian mental health studies have also examined lifestyle links, including a three-year study of 6,537 Australian adolescents that associated higher fruit intake with reduced risks of depression and anxiety symptoms. [3]