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Saunas Are the Next Frontier in Fighting Depression
The preliminary results of a clinical trial of using heat exposure to combat depression are in—and are fueling cautious optimism that sauna practice could become an accepted treatment.
Scores on separate questionnaires about “negative automatic thinking”—involuntarily biased thoughts that are prevalent in depression—also decreased about 20 percent, hinting at potential improvement. Adam Chekroud, an adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University, appreciates the potential benefit of the hyperthermia routine, but remains skeptical about why Mason’s study produced the results reported. We know that thermoregulation correlates with mood and moves in tandem with circadian rhythms: Your body typically cools down at night and warms in the early morning, but this temperature regulation turns wonky in severe depression.
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