Seafood and Depression

Seafood and Depression

There have been studies that conclude that there is some relationship between food intake and mental health. The stress you endure, and how you deal with it differs in many ways. There is evidence that the more seafood college students eat the lower level of depression they experience.

Researchers have two different inventories for depression. The Beck Depression Inventory is a leading depression inventory, and the new inventory is the Wilsonson's Depression Scale (Wilsonson, Gofendorfer, & Brazleton, 2002). The results of both tests were identical. The Wilsonson Depression Scale proved to be more simple to administer and faster to complete and score (Wilsonson et al., 2002).

This study, as well as others (Arbor, Dolfin, & Pecanhead, 2003; Black, Marsh, Roberts, Kickerback, Duey, Freeberslager, Williamsonson, & Friday, 2004; Smith & Hold, 2004; Thompson, 2004; Wilsonson, Gofendorfer, & Brazleton, 2002) have shown that when seafood intake is high your depression level is lower. One study examined the relationship between eating different foods to include seafood and depression (Arbor, Dolfin, & Pecanhead, 2003). In this particular study, the groups took the Wilsonson's Depression Scale before and after the participants divided into three groups and put on one of three very strict diets. Results of the study showed a significant difference in the levels of depression after being on the diet.

A different study, (Black, Marsh, Roberts, Kickerback, Duey, Freeberslager, Williamsonson, & Friday, 2004) examined elderly people and gave them tests on personality, depression, and kept a journal of food intake for over three weeks. The Black (2004) study broke into two groups. One group said that they ate seafood at least six times a week and the other group only three or fewer a week.

The Smith and Hold (2004) study was made up of 1000 elderly people living in the South. All the participants took personality tests and depression scales and kept food journals for six weeks. After the six-week study, the researchers cross-referenced the journals, personality tests, and depression scales.

The Thompson study (2004) is a little different from the others. In this particular study, a group of teenage couples in the Central United States was given Beck's Depression Inventory in 1985, 1992, and again in 2004. After the test, all the couples moved to the Gulf Coast and a mass marriage took place, and they lived in homes exactly alike. The men became anglers and women learned to be chefs. The couples could not prepare or consume anything that was not seafood during