Friendships, a new treatment for depression ? This is what British researchers suggest in a study published on August 19, 2015 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Depression is not contagious
Initially, their research aimed to find out if teenagers’ moods were contagious. Scientists analyzed 2,000 young Americans. Results: They did not find any signs of contagion. Having a friend who is depressed therefore does not make you depressed.
They noted, however, that with a balanced circle of friends, the risk of developing depression was lower and recovery was favored and faster.
350 million people suffer from depression worldwide
“At the societal level, if we encourage friendships among adolescents, we increase the chances that everyone has enough balanced friends and benefits from a protective effect, notes Thomas House, co-author of the study.
This would reduce the prevalence of depression, “he continues. method “cheap and low risk,” he said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression.
Read also :
– Depression: meditation would be as effective as anti-depressants
– Television: binge watching a first sign of depression
