Too much sitting during the pandemic is tied to increased depressive symptoms, study finds

by Beth Ellwood February 14, 2022. A study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry has found new evidence that too much sitting can negatively impact mental health. The study found that while mental health tended to improve among US residents in the aftermath of the initial COVID-19 outbreak, those who spent more time sitting showed slower recovery from depressive symptoms.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, mental health professionals have expressed concern about citizens’ psychological health. One way the crisis might impact mental health is by increasing sedentary behavior, with citizens spending much more time at home in an effort to follow public health guidelines.

Notably, the first wave of the coronavirus was unexpected, requiring rapid changes in people’s behavior. Researchers Jacob D. Meyer and his colleagues recognized an opportunity to explore how sudden changes in sedentary behavior within a short period of time would impact mental health. The researchers used a longitudinal research design involving repeated measurements over an 8-week period during the pandemic. This allowed them to assess how changes in sitting behavior would relate to changes in mental health over time.

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