Daylight saving doesn’t affect mental health
By Brooke Lote. A new study has shattered the myth that mental health declines because of daylight savings.
Swinburne researches Dr Ben Bullock and Professor Greg Murray found evidence that there is no direct consequence of pushing the clocks forward on people’s mental health.
“Our study found that the acute shift in clock time due to daylight saving was not consistently associated with significant declines in mental health,” Dr Bullock said.
As Melbournians adjust to daylight savings, Dr Bullock says that winding the clocks ahead will give people more time to experience the daylight.
“The natural light increases our energy for other wellbeing boosting activities such as hanging out with friends and exercising,” he says.
The study showed that our brains respond well to spending more time outside, and that our circadian system has been trained over generations to encourage activity during the day and inactivity at night.
The study further acknowledged that daylight savings can negatively impact sleep and waking schedules. However, they recognise that those who work night shift can experience disruptions to the normal functioning of their circadian system, which has proven to negatively affect mental health.
“While we await more robust evidence, we recommend recognising the good and bad that comes with daylight savings and prioritising strategies to mitigate risks while maximising the benefits,” Dr Bullock said.
Ultimately, their study demonstrates that in experiencing more daylight, people are inspired to maximise the benefits of socialising and being outdoors. Therefore, they affirm that there are “no clear and consistent effect” on falls in mental health.
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