An interesting possibility: depression may be linked to circadian rhythms being out of sync. The study had a small sample size so obviously more research is needed.
The study, led by Dr Joanne Carpenter and Professor Ian Hickie from the University of Sydney, is the first to look simultaneously at three key measures of body clock regulation in people with mental ill-health.
“We analysed participants’ core body temperature, cortisol levels and melatonin levels, which we know play important roles in how our bodies manage the circadian rhythm – our 24-hour cycles which regulate things like wakefulness and sleep,” said Dr Carpenter, a Research Fellow at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Central Clinical School and member of the Brain and Mind Centre’s Youth Mental Health and Technology Group.