health briefs

Serotonin Theory of Depression Debunked

The idea that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance—specifically, a serotonin deficiency—has freshidea/AdobeStock.com been popular and influential since the 1960s, leading to the wide use of antidepressants. A recent multi-institution study led by the University of Reading, in the UK, and published in Molecular Psychiatry has debunked this theory. The researchers did a systematic review of studies on the topic and found no convincing evidence of an association between serotonin and depression, and no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations. The serotonin theory of depression has historically provided convincing justification for the use of antidepressants and may discourage people from discontinuing treatment, potentially leading to lifelong dependence on such drugs.

Under-Appreciating the Benefits of Solitude

Getting lost in our thoughts may improve problem solving, increase creativity, enhance imagination and sergign/AdobeStock.com provide a better sense of self-worth. But in the digital age, with immediate and satisfying input at a finger’s tap, it is possible to be “solitude deprived,” says Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University and author of Digital Minimalism. In a recent study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, psychologists asked a group of more than 250 university students to sit and wait in a quiet room without doing anything. Researchers found that the students underappreciated their enjoyment and engagement of “just thinking” and instead favored technology-driven distractions like internet news-checking. The results suggest an inherent difficulty in accurately assessing how engaging just thinking can be, and may explain why people prefer keeping themselves busy rather than taking a moment for reflection and imagination in their daily lives.

Kids Are Not Getting Enough Sleep

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended that children between the ages of 6 and kaliantye/AdobeStock.com 12 years obtain nine to 12 hours of sleep per night for optimal health, yet kids are regularly getting less than this recommended amount. In a recent study published in The Lancet, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine investigated how insufficient sleep affects children’s behavioral problems, mental health, cognition, brain function and brain structure over a period of two years. They concluded that children that get less than nine hours of sleep per night have notable differences in brain regions that influence memory, intelligence and well-being compared to those that get more than nine hours. As kids’ schedules get busier and they spend more time in front of screens, their average sleep time has decreased. According to the researchers, such insufficiencies in early adolescence can lead to longlasting neurocognitive consequences.