If I had a nickel for every day I sat at home and didn’t go out over the past 2 years, well, I would have a lot of nickels. Unfortunately, one side effect of lockdowns, and the pandemic overall, is the increase in sedentary lifestyles. Many people no longer had to go out for work or school, relying on Uber Eats for their food and generally just avoiding going outside. Psychologists and psychiatrists were worried about the impacts on mental health throughout the pandemic, and were particularly interested in how the increase in sedentary lifestyles impacted people.

An 8-week longitudinal study assessed how changes to sitting behavior in adults correlated to changes in mental health over time. Surveys were given in 1 week increments and asked participants about time spent in front of a screen, sitting, and engaging in exercises. They were also asked to complete measures related to anxiety, depression, and positive mental health. 2,327 participants aged 18-74 completed at least 2 of 8 surveys given.

Over the course of the 8-week study, participants mental health improved overall, however time spent sitting made the improvement in mental health slower. Participants who sat for more time by the end of the study had less depression symptom improvement than those who sat the least. Those who had high screen time at the beginning of the study had higher levels of depression compared to those who had low screen time. Though, by week 3 the differences between them disappeared. Strangely, physical activity was not found to impact depression, anxiety, or positive mental health in participants. The researchers note that at a baseline, there weren’t many inactive participants to begin with.

 

Original Article: https://www.psypost.org/2022/02/too-much-sitting-during-the-pandemic-is-tied-to-increased-depressive-symptoms-study-finds-62411

Study: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.741433/full