Too Little or Too Much Sleep Raises Depression Risk by 2.1 Times

It was found that people who get too little or excessively long sleep are 2.1 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms compared to those who get an adequate amount of sleep. Lack of social connections and smoking were also identified as major associated factors.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on April 14 the results of an in-depth analysis of adult depression indicators based on the "2025 Community Health Survey," which was conducted with approximately 230,000 adults aged 19 and older nationwide.

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

원본보기 아이콘

According to this analysis, the factor most closely associated with depressive symptoms was sleep. The risk of developing depressive symptoms was 2.1 times higher for those who slept 6 hours or less, or 9 hours or more, compared to the adequate sleep group (7 to 8 hours). In terms of social relationships, those who interacted with friends less than once a month had a twofold risk, and those with low trust among neighbors had a 1.8 times higher risk. In terms of health behaviors, smokers had a 1.7 times higher risk, while insufficient physical activity such as walking or strength exercises increased the risk by 1.2 to 1.4 times, and high-risk drinking by 1.3 times.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms is measured by the proportion of people scoring 10 or higher on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), indicating a clinical likelihood of depression for which visiting a medical institution and consulting an expert is recommended. This indicator rose from 2.7% in 2017 to 3.4% last year, an increase of 25.9%. The annual experience rate of depressive mood peaked at 7.3% in 2023 and slightly decreased to 5.9% last year. This rate refers to the proportion of people who experienced sadness, despair, or depression severe enough to disrupt daily life for two or more consecutive weeks during the past year.

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

원본보기 아이콘

The percentage of adults who felt depressed and received professional counseling increased from 16.5% in 2016 to 27.3% last year. The agency interpreted this as a result of the elimination of negative perceptions regarding mental health counseling over the past 10 years. However, it added that, since the rate of counseling remains low, it is necessary to strengthen accessibility and connection to mental health services.

The risk of depression among vulnerable groups was significantly higher than the overall average. The prevalence for recipients of basic livelihood benefits was 4.6 times higher than for non-recipients; for those with a monthly income of 2 million won or less, it was 2.6 times higher than the average; and for single-person households, it was 2.3 times higher than for households with two or more people. Women had a 1.7 times higher prevalence than men, with the rates particularly pronounced among women in their 20s and 30s and those aged 70 and older. Among single-person households aged 70 and above, the prevalence of depressive symptoms reached 8.9%, which is 2.6 times the overall rate (3.4%).

By region, the prevalence was highest in Ulsan (4.9%), followed by South Chungcheong (4.4%), and Daejeon and Incheon (4.2%), while it was lowest in Gwangju and North Jeolla (2.3%). Over the past nine years since 2017, the prevalence has increased in 14 cities and provinces, with Ulsan showing the highest rate of increase. Only three regions-Gwangju, South Chungcheong, and North Jeolla-saw a decrease in prevalence.

Im Seungkwan, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "The high-risk groups for depression have been identified as women in their 20s and 30s, the elderly aged 70 and over, single-person households, the unemployed, and low-income groups, with the main factor being excessive or insufficient sleep." He added, "To prevent depression, it is important to maintain adequate sleep, social relationships, and healthy lifestyle habits." The agency plans to develop and implement local public health policies that comprehensively consider at-risk groups and key associated factors based on these analysis results.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.