Circadian rhythm in negative affect: Implications for mood disorders

JS Emens, AM Berman, SS Thosar, MP Butler… - Psychiatry …, 2020 - Elsevier
JS Emens, AM Berman, SS Thosar, MP Butler, SA Roberts, NA Clemons, MX Herzig…
Psychiatry Research, 2020Elsevier
In humans, there is an endogenous, near 24-h (ie, circadian) variation in mood with the best
mood occurring during the circadian day and the worst mood occurring during the circadian
night. Only positive affect, and not negative affect, has been shown to contribute to this
circadian rhythm. We discovered a sharp circadian peak in negative affect during the
circadian night coincident with a circadian trough in positive affect. These findings may help
explain the association of depression with insomnia, the increased risk of suicide with …
Abstract
In humans, there is an endogenous, near 24-h (i.e., circadian) variation in mood with the best mood occurring during the circadian day and the worst mood occurring during the circadian night. Only positive affect, and not negative affect, has been shown to contribute to this circadian rhythm. We discovered a sharp circadian peak in negative affect during the circadian night coincident with a circadian trough in positive affect. These findings may help explain the association of depression with insomnia, the increased risk of suicide with nocturnal wakefulness, and the correlation between circadian misalignment and symptom severity in Major Depressive Disorder.
Elsevier