A new year is upon us and for many that means new year’s resolutions. So what’s on everyone’s new year’s resolution this year?
In 2020, a New York Times article reported that drinking water was likely on everyone’s new year’s resolution. Following that A 2024, Time Magazine article reported it has likely stayed on most people’s new year’s resolution list as the reusable water bottle industry in America has boomed from a 1.5 billion dollar market in 2020 to 2 billion dollars in 2022.
Drinking water seems to be on everyone’s minds. But why is it important to drink water? Below we shed some light on the reasons that drinking water is important for your mental health.
Drinking Water and Mental Health
A research study conducted in 2018 of adults in Iran indicated that drinking 2 glasses or less of water a day led to an increased risk of depression of 73% in men and 54% in women, compared with a reference group ≥ 5 glasses per day. The study found no significant association for anxiety in men or women. The amount of water per glass was not stated in the study.
A more recent study conducted by Korean researchers in 2024 investigated the association between drinking water on self-reported depression and suicidality among Korean adolescents. When compared to the reference group of those who drank more than 3 glasses of water a day, they found that drinking less than 1 glass of water a day increased the odds of developing self-reported depression by 30%, suicidal ideation by 39%, suicide planning by 46%, and suicide attempts by 38%. When the water intake increased to 1 to 2 glasses a day, the odds of self-reported depression and suicidal ideation decreased to 5% and 8%, respectively.
Summary
Based on these research articles it turns out drinking water plays a very important role in our mental health. If you are struggling with your mental health contact us at the Centre for Clinical Psychology in Melbourne, our team of experienced psychologists are here to help you overcome your challenges and improve your wellbeing. Book an appointment at the Centre for Clinical Psychology in Melbourne today by calling 03 9077 0122.
References
Contois, E.J.H., (2024, January). Your new year’s resolution to carry a water bottle has a history. Time. https://time.com/6548310/new-years-water-bottles/
Leclair, C. (2020, January). Everyone’s resolution is to drink more water in 2020. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/style/self-care/hydrate-hydrate-hydrate.html
Lee, J. W., & Kim, Y. (2024). Association of plain water intake with self-reported depression and suicidality among Korean adolescents. Epidemiology and health, 46, e2024019. https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024019
Haghighatdoost, F., Feizi, A., Esmaillzadeh, A., Rashidi-Pourfard, N., Keshteli, A. H., Roohafza, H., & Adibi, P. (2018). Drinking plain water is associated with decreased risk of depression and anxiety in adults: Results from a large cross-sectional study. World Journal of Psychiatry, 8(3), 88–96. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v8.i3.88
