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While trauma, divorce and bereavement can send anyone into a downward spiral of depression, there are some surprising everyday factors that also heighten the risk for mental illness.

A pharmaceutical firm, concerned about SAs high use of antidepressant medication, has launched an education campaign to shed light on the ordinary, often unsuspecting things that could have an impact on the publics mental well-being.

Abdurahman Kenny, central nervous system portfolio manager at Pharma Dynamics, stated that the growing incidence of depression and anxiety worldwide implies that there are other factors too that make modern-day society more vulnerable to mental illness.

Research shows that spending too much time indoors, being stuck in traffic, heavy social media use, lack of movement and even slouching could all be triggers, he explained.

According to research done by Harvards Medical School, staying cooped up indoors is not only bad for our physical health, but mental health too.

These days most of us spend the majority of our days inside denying our bodies of much-needed vitamin D, which may provide some protection against depression. Exposure to sunlight increases the brains production of serotonin- a hormone associated with an elevated mood. By just spending 10 to 15 minutes outside with our arms and legs exposed to the sun (without sunscreen), is enough for our bodies to produce the required amount of vitamin D, he shared.

An indoor lifestyle has led to more than a billion people across the glove being vitamin D deficient- even in the sunnier parts of the world, such as Australia, more than a third are deficient.

Evidence shows that a lack of vitamin D increases the likelihood of depression by up to 14 percent and suicide by 50 percent, so be sure to make safe sun exposure either in the morning or late afternoons a habit.

Life satisfaction and happiness also takes a dip among those who have to suffer through long commutes to work and back.

A report by the UKs National Office of Statistics showed that people, who commute for longer than half an hour to work each day(regardless of the mode of transport), have greater levels of stress and anxiety.

Kenny said the average South African spends almost three hours a day in traffic, which doesnt do moods any good.

He suggested speaking to employers about working flexi-hours or from home if the type of job you do allows for this arrangement.

Alternatively, put on your favourite tunes or listen to motivational or interesting podcasts to keep you positive, he advised.

Heavy social media use, equal to two or more hours a day, has also been associated with poor mental health.

While social media isnt all bad, its important to set boundaries, as too much time on networking sites can have damaging consequences. Commit to not checking social media at meal times and when spending time with family and friends. Also schedule regular breaks from social media, he added.

Sitting too long also makes you anxious! According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine which tracked almost 9, 000 women over a 10-year period.

Researchers grouped them based on how much time they spent sitting each day (four or less hours a day or four to seven hours a day, or more than seven hours a day). Researchers found that those, who were sedentary for more than seven hours a day, were 47 percent more at risk of developing depression than those who sat for four or fewer hours a day.

Women, who didnt exercise at all, were 99 percent at risk of depressive symptoms, compared with those, who exercised regularly.

Kenny explained that its no wonder that depression rates are on the increase when one considers that almost 40 percent of SA adults (men and women) are inactive based on the latest WHO statistics.

Make a point of including exercise into your daily routine. Find something that you enjoy and stick to it. Exercise has shown to improve mood and forms part of a holistic treatment regime to help prevent the onset of depression, he suggested.

Surprisingly, a bad posture and slouching in ones chair have also been linked to an increase in depressive symptoms.

So next time, pay special attention to how you sit and take notice of how you feel and how others treat you, he stated.

He also encouraged the public to follow a healthy, balanced diet, getting enough sleep, limiting alcohol intake, spending quality time with friends and family, and making time for hobbies and interests, which all contribute to a healthy mental outlook.

In the past decade, depression rates have risen by nearly 20 percent, making it the leading cause of disability worldwide. More than 300 million people are affected and at its worst, could lead to suicide. In South Africa, an estimated 20 percent will experience a depressive disorder at least once in their lifetime.

This message comes in the wake of Mental Health Awareness Month this October and aims to curb climbing depression rates in the country.

Read the original here:
Surprising 'everyday' factors that affect mental health - Rising Sun Chatsworth

This entry was posted on October 13, 2019 at 9:42 pm and is filed under Preventative Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |