University College London

Academic Institute

OFHS240163

Our study aims to find out if being physically active can reduce the risk of depression during midlife, especially for people whose genes or life circumstances might make them more likely to experience it. We will explore: 1. How physical activity might change the way genes linked to depression affect people’s experience of depression and whether this varies by factors like social class or education, gender, or ethnicity. 2. How physical activity might change the effects of life circumstances, such as education level, on depression and whether this varies by genetic risk, gender, or ethnicity. Depression is a condition that can be influenced by both genes and life circumstances. In addition to harming mental health and disrupting daily life, it may also increase the risk of long-term illnesses, particularly when experienced during midlife. These effects can shorten healthy life expectancy, making it important to find ways to reduce depression during this stage of life. Some people are more at risk of experiencing depression due to their genes or social background, but these factors are hard to change. Instead, focusing on behaviours like physical activity—something we can change—might help. Being active may reduce the impact of genetic risk or challenges like disadvantaged social class on experiencing depression. This study will look at how physical activity might reduce depression by either lessening or changing the effects of genes and social background. It will also explore whether these effects differ by factors like gender or ethnicity. The findings could show how physical activity programmes might help tackle inequalities in mental health.

Depression is a serious condition that affects many people. While it can occur at any time in the life course, it is especially common during midlife in the UK. Experiencing depression during this time can disrupt daily life as well as increase the risk of long-term health problems, which can lead to unequal health outcomes in later life. Therefore, understanding how to reduce the risk of depression in midlife for the whole population is essential for improving mental health and promoting fair opportunities for healthy ageing. Some risk factors for depression, like genetics or social disadvantage, are challenging (or impossible) to change. However, we can explore whether related factors that we can change can play a role in reducing these risk factors for depression. Our study will focus on exploring how physical activity, a behaviour people can change, might help reduce depression related to genes or life circumstances. We will also examine whether our findings are the same for different groups of people, for example, based on gender or ethnicity. The study aims to inform public health strategies by focusing on how physical activity can reduce mental health inequalities. This has the potential to benefit public health in the immediate-and-long-term.

Public Health Research

06/03/2025

05/03/2025

TRE