Among older adults, redistributing TV time generally did not affect depression rates, except when time was replaced with sports, which led to modest reductions in risk. In younger adults, reallocating TV time to physical activity did not significantly alter depression risk, possibly because this group was already relatively active.
The findings come from the Lifelines cohort study, which followed more than 65,000 Dutch adults without depression at baseline over four years. Participants reported how they spent their time across a range of activities, and diagnoses of major depressive disorder were assessed using a structured clinical interview. Overall, the study suggests that replacing sedentary screen time with more active or restorative behaviours may help protect against depression, particularly during middle age.