Australian researchers identify new subtype of depression linked to body clock disruptions

Study identifies ‘circadian depression’ as affecting nearly a quarter of more than 11,000 participants

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Australian researchers have identified a new subtype of depression – termed “circadian depression” – linked to disruptions in the body’s internal clock, which they believe is less responsive to traditional antidepressant treatments.

In a study published in British Journal of Psychiatry, involving clinical and genetic data from 11,380 Australians with mostly severe and recurrent depression, researchers identified circadian depression as affecting nearly a quarter (23%) of participants.