A healthy lifestyle that involves moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, healthy sleep and frequent social connection, while avoiding smoking and too much sedentary behaviour, reduces the risk of depression, new research has found (Nature Mental Health). The researchers looked at a combination of factors including lifestyle factors, genetics, brain structure and our immune and metabolic systems to identify the underlying mechanisms that might explain this link.

To better understand the relationship between these factors and depression, the researchers turned to the U.K. Biobank. By examining data from almost 290,000 people — of whom 13,000 had depression — followed over a nine-year period, the team was able to identify seven healthy lifestyle factors linked with a lower risk of depression. Of all of these factors, having a good night’s sleep (seven to nine hours a night) made the biggest difference, reducing the risk of depression by 22%. Frequent social connection, which in general reduced the risk of depression by 18%, was the most protective against recurrent depressive disorder. Moderate alcohol consumption decreased the risk of depression by 11%, healthy diet by 6%, regular physical activity by 14%, never smoking by 20%, and low-to-moderate sedentary behaviour by 13%.