New research reveals the best and worst times for mental health

Mental health peaks in the morning

People tend to feel better in the morning, with significant differences in self-reported mental health and well-being throughout the day, a large study published today (5 February) in the journal BMJ Mental Health shows.

The study showed that people typically wake up in their best mental state, while moods reach their lowest point around midnight. Factors such as day of the week and season also affect these patterns.

Mental health and well-being fluctuate in both the short and long term, but few studies have examined how they change over the course of a day. The researchers noted that those studies tended to be limited to small areas or specific groups.

Survey time impact

To fill this gap, researchers investigated whether time of day affects mental health, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, happiness, life satisfaction, sense of purpose, and loneliness. They also explored whether these patterns varied by day, season or year.

They analyzed data from University College London's COVID-19 Society Study, which started in March 2020, with regular surveillance through November 2021, and then additional surveillance through March 2022.

All study components were measured by questionnaires using validated assessment tools or by a single direct question: "Over the past week, how happy have you felt; how satisfied are you with your life; and to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile?"

The timestamp when each survey was completed provides information such as time of day (continuously from 6 a.m. to midnight), day of week, season, and year (2020, 2021, 2022).

Information on other potentially influencing factors included age group (18–29, 30–45, 46–59, 60+), gender, race, education, employment status, region of residence (rural, urban), and diagnosed physical and mental health conditions (yes, no).

49,218 people provided complete information, three-quarters (76.5%) of whom were women. There is a higher proportion of people with education to a degree or above (68%), while a lower proportion of people from ethnic minority backgrounds (6%). Therefore, the sample was weighted to reflect population proportions.

Obvious patterns in mood throughout the day

Analysis of the data revealed clear patterns in self-reported mental health and well-being across the day, with people generally feeling best when they wake up in the morning, with the lowest symptoms of depression/anxiety and loneliness, highest levels of happiness, life satisfaction and sense of worth, and feeling worst around midnight.

The effect of day of the week was less pronounced, with greater differences in mental health and well-being on weekends than on weekdays.

Happiness, life satisfaction, and sense of value were higher on Mondays and Fridays than on Sundays, and happiness was also higher on Tuesdays. However, there is no evidence that loneliness differs on different days of the week.

The role of seasonal changes

However, there is clear evidence that seasons have an impact on mood. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and loneliness tend to be lower, while happiness, life satisfaction and feeling that life is valuable are higher in other seasons compared to winter.

Across all results, mental health levels were highest during the summer months. However, season did not affect the correlations observed throughout the day.

The ongoing impact of the pandemic

Mental health and well-being have also steadily improved since 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was an observational study, so the cause cannot be determined. Researchers say when people choose to fill out the questionnaires could affect the study results. They added that there was no information on sleep cycles, latitude or weather, all of which may also have contributed.

But they believe that changes in mental health and well-being throughout the day can be explained by physiological changes related to the body's clock.

"For example, cortisol peaks shortly after waking up and reaches lowest levels just before bed. However, it is important to acknowledge differences between weekends and weekdays," they wrote. "Given that there is little evidence that physiological processes differ on different days of the week, this difference may be related to other factors that drive changes in [mental health and well-being] throughout the day. This may include environmental factors and the sequence of daily activities, which are likely to be different on weekends and weekdays."

Surprising discovery about seasonal effects

The researchers said the similar patterns in mental health and well-being across seasons were surprising because one of the main causes of seasonal changes in mental states is the amount of daylight.

They argue that "other factors contributing to seasonal changes [in mental health and well-being] may include weather (temperature, precipitation, humidity) and various sociocultural cycles, including cultural festivals, norms, and employment patterns."

The researchers say the findings have implications for service delivery and clinical assessment. "Finally, in terms of public health, our findings show that people's (mental health and well-being) tend to be lowest at midnight, mid-week and in winter. This should be taken into account when planning service and resource provision."

Compiled from /ScitechDaily