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

Individuals with circadian depression have more severe mental health symptoms, study’s author says. Photograph: milos-kreckovic/Getty Images

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.