Study reveals people's mental health peaks in the morning

A comprehensive research study conducted by University College London (UCL) as part of the COVID-19 Social Study explored the daily fluctuations in mood and mental health of nearly 50,000 adults in the UK between March 2020 and March 2022. The findings suggest a clear pattern where happiness and life satisfaction are highest in the morning and decline as the day progresses, reaching their lowest point by midnight. The study observed that individuals typically reported feeling their best upon waking, which aligns with physiological changes correlated with the body's internal clock. The researchers noted that physiological factors might explain these variations in mental health throughout the day. For instance, cortisol, a hormone that regulates mood, is known to peak shortly after waking and decrease significantly by night. Interestingly, the data also exhibited that well-being could differ between the weekdays and weekends, possibly influenced by variations in daily responsibilities and tasks. People generally reported feeling more satisfied with their lives on Mondays and Fridays compared to Sundays. Alongside these findings, the research emphasized the role of environment and seasonality in influencing mood, with individuals experiencing greater happiness during the summer months compared to winter. Moreover, the emotional landscape of weekends seemed to be more volatile compared to weekdays, indicating that social dynamics might also play a role in mental health fluctuations. The emotional turbulence observed during weekends could be tied to societal expectations and changes in routine. Dr Feifei Bu expressed the necessity for further research to verify these results and recommended that mental health support services might adjust their resources to accommodate these fluctuating needs throughout the day. She suggested that prioritizing late-night resources could potentially help those who experience poorer mental health at specific times. Overall, this pioneering study highlights the importance of understanding how time influences mental well-being and opens doors for improvements in health support services.