This Simple Activity Helps Beat Loneliness This Season

by

This Simple Activity Helps Beat Loneliness This Season

We no longer offer it: seasonal depression and its harmful effects still come this season. Fatigue, loss of interest, decline in motivation…these symptoms reflect metabolic slowdown induced by psychological exhaustion. Psychiatrist Marine Collomb explains, “In people suffering from seasonal depression, the internal clock is disrupted, their secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin will increase and the secretion of serotonin, the well-being hormone, will decrease.” “This will have the effect of lengthening the sleep phase and lowering mood.” This observation is illustrated by alarming new data about the mental health of young adults.

A recent study conducted by IPSOS for Azar, a global video chat application developed by South Korean company HyperConnect, shows that fatigue, stress and isolation are real challenges during this time. Mental health, a major health issue, may be protected due to one specific activity highlighted by the study: video chat applications. These digital tools are already popular among youth to limit their social isolation.

Video chat applications, a new remedy against isolation

We construct ourselves in interactions with others. However, 8 out of 10 French people suffer from loneliness. Some populations are more at risk. According to a survey conducted by IPSOS, women feel the effects of this period more intensely: 61% of them say they feel negative emotions in November, compared to 48% of men. Additionally, 55% of youth aged 18 to 27 experience more negative emotions (fatigue, exhaustion, stress and anxiety) during this period, increasing the need to develop means of support adapted to their generation .

Loneliness must be reduced in our hyperconnected world. As we have to move with the times, let us also recognize the importance of technological tools to combat social isolation. In fact, 30% of young adults believe that video chat applications can help reduce their feelings of loneliness. They allow us to rebuild relationships and logically feel less lonely. “By creating accessible and immediate spaces for exchange, Azar, a global video chat platform that allows users to meet new people from around the world (Editor’s note), positions itself as a platform for these young adults looking for social connection.” Keeps as valuable support. Especially during the period when the lack of light and the arrival of winter intensify negative emotions, ”underlines the press release accompanying the study.

Other Ways to Treat Seasonal Depression

If the study highlights the essential role of social interaction in dealing with seasonal depression, the treatment of this condition remains specific, specifies psychiatrist Marine Colombel. This involves exposing yourself to high intensity light (more than 2000 lux), this is called light therapy. The exhibition runs for 30 minutes every morning from September to March.

Experts recommend this treatment also includes cognitive and behavioral therapy sessions, physical exercise, and obviously medical monitoring along with medication if necessary.

Reference:

  • The study was conducted by IPSOS in October 2024 among 1050 men and women aged 18 to 27 in France for azar.
  • (“The French and Solitude”, BVA for Astri, January 2019).
  • Chronicle, “Seasonal Depression”, by Marine Collomb, psychiatrist.
  • J PsychiatryGolden RN, Gaines BN, Ekstrom RD et al. Efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders: review and meta-analysis of the evidence.