2024届高考英语一轮复习时文阅读：7个可以将抑郁症风险降低一半的习惯 学案

7 Habits That Could Cut the Risk of Depression in Half "Lifestyle medicine" can be as powerful as prescriptions. KEY POINTS New research makes it clear that daily habits can boost or diminish mental health. A healthier lifestyle can ward off depression, even in those with genetic predisposition. Your answers to these seven questions have serious implications for your mental health: Do you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night? How much junk food do you consume? Do you make time for friends and family? Do you exercise regularly? How many hours a day do you sit at your desk? Do you smoke cigarettes? How much alcohol do you consume? A new study published in Nature Mental Health found that a healthy lifestyle can prevent depression, even in those who have a genetic predisposition. While pharmaceutical advertisements have led many to believe that major depressive disorder is caused by a lack of neurotransmitters, it has become increasingly clear that depression is much more than a chemical imbalance. Remember the classic Zoloft commercial from the early 2000s showing a sad blob with a cloud following it around? The voiceover explains: “While the cause is unknown, depression may be related to an imbalance of natural chemicals between nerve cells in the brain. Prescription Zoloft works to correct this imbalance.” Zoloft transforms the sad blob into a smiling blob and the cloud literally dissipates. More recent evidence paints a more complicated picture that debunks this model: Antidepressant medications work for some people, but not because they correct a chemical imbalance. What remains unclear is exactly how they work. What is clear is how daily habits can boost mental health. Researchers examined data from almost 290,000 people—of whom 13,000 had depression—over a nine-year period, and identified seven healthy lifestyle behaviors linked with a lower risk of depression: 1. Prioritize sleep. Sleeping seven to nine hours per night reduced the risk of depression incl