Assessing seasonal and weather effects on depression and physical activity using mobile health data
Seasonal and weather changes can significantly impact depression severity, yet findings remain inconsistent across populations. This study explored depression variations across the seasons and the interplays between weather changes, physical activity, and depression severity among 428 participants in a real-world longitudinal mobile health study. Clustering analysis identified four participant subgroups with distinct patterns of depression severity variations in 1 year. While one subgroup showed stable depression levels throughout the year, others peaked at various seasons. The subgroup with stable depression had older participants with lower baseline depression severity. Mediation analysis revealed temperature and day length significantly influenced depression severity, which in turn impacted physical activity levels indirectly. Notably, these indirect influences manifested differently or even oppositely across participants with varying responses to weather. These findings support the hypothesis of heterogeneity in individuals' seasonal depression variations and responses to weather, underscoring the necessity for personalized approaches in depression management and treatment.
Authors
- Matthew H. Hotopf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3980-4466)
- Carolin Oetzmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1480-917X)
- Sara Siddi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1494-9028)
- Yuezhou Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4817-3835)
- Srinivasan Vairavan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7975-8436)
- Til Wykes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5881-8003)
- Sara Simblett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8075-8238)
- Pauline Conde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0513-0915)
- Josep María Haro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3984-277X)
- Abhishek Pratap (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5289-6932)
- Shaoxiong Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3652-5266)
- Faith Matcham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4055-904X)
- David C. Mohr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5443-7596)
- Zulqarnain Rashid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6843-9920)
- Brenda W.J.H. Penninx (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7779-9672)
- Amos Folarin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0333-1927)
- Callum Stewart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9947-8677)
- Richard Dobson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4224-9245)
- Vaibhav A. Narayan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6092-5150)
- Yatharth Ranjan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3079-3120)
- Femke Lamers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4344-5766)
- Nicholas Cummins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1178-917X)
Institutions
- Northwestern University (US)
- University of London (GB)
- University of Sussex (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (ES)
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (ES)
- UCL Biomedical Research Centre (GB)
- Health Data Research UK (GB)
- Janssen (United States) (US)
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL)
- Behavioral Tech (US)
- University College London (GB)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Mental Health Research
- Published
- 2025-04-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44184-025-00125-x
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Mental Health Research Topics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.47
Funders
- NHS Blood and Transplant
- Wellcome Trust
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Scottish Government
- European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations
- UK Research and Innovation
- Alzheimer's Society
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- British Heart Foundation
- Department of Health and Social Care
- King's College London
- University College London
- European Commission
- European Society of Cardiology
- Public Health Agency
- King's Health Partners
- Innovative Medicines Initiative
- Institut Català de la Salut
- GIESKES-STRIJBIS FONDS
- Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate
- NIHR BioResource
- NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre
- Medical Research Council
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Health and Social Care Research and Development Division
- UCLH Biomedical Research Centre
- National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South London