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Over the past years, sedentary behaviors like excessively watching TV have been known to affect a person's physical health. However, studies show that it also affects mental health.

In the past, studies found that decreasing the time spent on watching TV and similar activities can help combat depression. This is because watching TV isolates someone, while the role of belonging and connection in mental well-being is crucial for warding off clinical depression. Isolation can lead to a sense of purposelessness, which impacts mental health.

Another study showed that the likelihood of getting a depression diagnosis in young adults is almost five times higher for adolescents who spend at least three hours a day watching TV. Aside from watching TV, another study looked into other forms of screen time and found that those who spend more than four hours a day in front of a screen are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression.

The results of various studies on the link between watching TV and depression have been so far consistent. Similarly, in a new study, researchers have uncovered the link between mentally passive sedentary behaviors like watching TV and a 43 percent increased risk of depression. The primary effect of such sedentary activities is found in an increase in waist size and C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation. The said increase in these factors then led to an increased risk of depression.

However, the researchers also found that not all sedentary behaviors contribute to depression risk. Mentally active tasks like working at a desk or driving, while considered sedentary for having a person sit for an extended period, are otherwise not linked to the increased risk of depression.