Depression Is Linked to Poor Posture
In one study,28 the investigators found a significant
presence of kyphosis during a depressive episode (vs. control) (mean
140°, SD 5° and mean 145°, SD 5°; p<.001) among 34 adults
diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. After this group of adults
received 8-10 weeks of treatment, the investigators reported an
improvement of ~5° in the kyphosis angle was observed in
parallel with reduced self-reported depression. In a second
study,27 investigators evaluated spine measurements
among 72 female adults with recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD),
and found worse posture measurements (angle measured measured by digital
camera) compared to those with a single episode (139.38°, SD=1.19 and
147.13°, SD=1.35; p<0.001). In a third study with 12
adults,23 the investigators’ results provided evidence
of: a) medium and large correlations between depression and kyphotic
posture (r = 0.36-0.51; p=0.01-0.05) and b) a significant correlation
between “usual depression” (defined as a chronic feeling and measured
by an analogue scale) and shoulder inclination (r = 0.822; p=0.02).