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The following is a summary of “Rhythm of mental health: the relationship of chronotype with psychiatric trait dimensions and diurnal variation in psychiatric symptoms,” published in the June 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Balter et al.
Circadian-based treatment targets biological rhythms to optimize therapy timing. In trials, aligning treatment with circadian rhythms has shown promise in enhancing effectiveness and reducing side effects, particularly in psychiatric and sleep disorders.
Researchers conducted a prospective study to understand how chronotype (morningness or eveningness) relates to 13 psychiatric traits.
They recruited 515 adult participants (404 women, 109 men, and 2 non-binary) with a mean age of 32.4 years who completed the psychiatric trait scales and a chronotype scale. Later, 410 participants repeatedly rated 22 psychiatric symptoms from morning to midnight.
The results showed that evening types tended to have more (11/13) psychiatric traits linked to symptoms like depression, OCD, and social anxiety. Morning types, however, were more associated with mania. Fatigue symptoms varied throughout the day, with evening types feeling worse in the morning and vice versa for morning types. Evening types also showed lower drive and motivation, negative emotions, and ADHD-type symptoms in the evening, especially among those high in psychiatric trait factors.
Investigators concluded the importance of considering circadian rhythms in psychiatric research and treatments, offering potential strategies to improve mental health outcomes, like boosting morning motivation.
Source: nature.com/articles/s41398-024-02943-7
