L’ESSENTIEL
- Spending less time watching television and more time engaged in other activities may help prevent major depressive disorder, according to a new study.
- The effect is particularly noticeable in people in their 40s.
- Replacing screen time with physical activity is the most effective way to reduce the risk of depression.
According to the 2024 Public Health France survey, 15.6% of French adults aged 18 to 79 experienced at least one episode of characterized depression in the past 12 months. Prevalence is even higher among those aged 18-29, around 22%. But, a new study published in European Psychiatry highlights a simple step individuals can accept to reduce their risk of depression: decreasing daily television viewing by one hour.
Depression: Reducing TV Time by Just One Hour a Day Can Develop a Difference
Spending less time on the couch watching TV is good for your health – a fact that has been known for many years. However, researcher Rosa Palazuelos-González of the University of Groningen (Netherlands) wanted to evaluate the impact of this habit change on mental well-being. To do so, she assessed the lifestyle and mental health of 65,454 adults who were not experiencing depression at the start of the study. Participants were followed for four years.
“We found that reducing television viewing time by 60 minutes and dedicating that time to other activities moderated the probability of developing major depression by 11%”, the scientist explained in a release. “For reallocations of 90 and 120 minutes, this decrease in probability reached 25.91%.”
The beneficial effect of reducing screen time was particularly pronounced in individuals in their 40s. In this age group, replacing one hour of daily television with other activities lowered the risk of depression by 18.78%. If the reduction was 90 minutes, the risk dropped to 29%. People who gave up two hours of television saw their risk plummet by 43%.
Older adults and young adults experienced the least benefit from reducing screen time. Among seniors, only engaging in sports showed a measurable difference. “Replacing 30 minutes of television with sports reduced the probability of depression from 1.01% to 0.71%. With 60 minutes, the risk fell to 0.63%, and with 90 minutes, to 0.56%”, the authors noted in their release.
Mental Health: Doing Housework Isn’t as Beneficial as Watching TV
The study showed that almost all activities replacing television were associated with a decrease in the risk of depression, with one exception: housework! “Replacing only 30 minutes of television with household chores did not lead to a significant change”, the researchers emphasized.
The most promising new habits were physical activity: dedicating 30 minutes less in front of a screen to exercise reduced the risk of depression by 18%. Across all age groups studied, physical activity showed the strongest reduction in the probability of developing major depression.
Sleep followed, with a decrease of 9%. Leisure or transportation activities reduced risks by 8%. On average, the French spent 4 hours and 14 minutes per day watching television – including live programs, replays, and on-demand videos – in 2025. This study serves as a reminder that taking time away from screens to dedicate to other activities can be beneficial.
