Love really IS the drug that can help a depressed partner, researchers say
- Showing your romantic partner love may be key in helping them fight depression
- The study surveyed 1,407 couples over six years on their mental health sate
- Helping your partner through depression can improve their future mental health
- Even the partner giving the support can experience positive impacts
- Men's feelings of self esteem improved when they supported a depressed mate
- Sometimes when a partner offers support, the mate may lash out
- In these cases you can offer 'invisible support' such as cleaning the dirty dishes
Researchers have found that showing your romantic partner more love may be key in helping them fight depression.
And the more depressed your partner is, the more love you should show them, they say.
The researchers also found that helping your partner through depression can help improve their mental health in the future too - and boost your own self esteem.
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![Even the partner giving the support to their depressed mate experiences positive impacts. Researchers found that men's feelings of self esteem improved when they supported a depressed partner and women receiving support from their partner had increased self-esteem and reduced depression in the future](http://web.archive.org./web/20170209203712/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/09/18/3D03CDA700000578-4209040-image-a-13_1486665639049.jpg)
Even the partner giving the support to their depressed mate experiences positive impacts. Researchers found that men's feelings of self esteem improved when they supported a depressed partner and women receiving support from their partner had increased self-esteem and reduced depression in the future
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada, found that support given by someone to a stressed partner had an impact on their future feelings of self-worth and depression and could even help keep the relationship healthy.
Even the partner giving the support to their depressed mate experiences positive impacts.
For example, men's feelings of self esteem improved when they supported a depressed partner.
Researchers also found that women receiving support from their partner had increased self-esteem and reduced depression in the future.
The study, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, surveyed 1,407 couples over six years for feelings of depression, self-esteem and mutual support.
Interestingly, the study also found that women who started out with higher self-esteem and men with fewer symptoms of depression received more support from their partners in times of stress.
'Those who have better mental health to start with may have the capacity to reach out for support when needed and are better able to manage stress on their own, but they are likely not the people who would benefit most from a partner's help,' said Professor Matthew Johnson, a human ecologist who specializes in relationship research and the co-author of the study.
![The study also found that women who started out with higher self-esteem and men with fewer symptoms of depression received more support from their partners in times of stress](http://web.archive.org./web/20170209203712/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/09/18/3D03CEA400000578-4209040-image-a-16_1486665744734.jpg)
The study also found that women who started out with higher self-esteem and men with fewer symptoms of depression received more support from their partners in times of stress
Professor Johnson also said that giving support to a partner who needs it can be difficult because they may not respond badly.
'When someone is depressed or has low-self-worth, they may lash out. A partner offering support reaffirms feelings of depression and helplessness, of the feeling that they have to pick up the slack,' said Professor Johnson.
But to get around this problem, professor Johnson suggests offering your partner 'invisible support.'
'Studies suggest offering support your partner may not even be aware of, but would still be a helpful gesture, like taking care of a sink full of dirty dishes they haven't seen yet.
'You can offer support, just don't draw attention to it,' he said.
Other ways to help a partner who is struggling with sadness or self-doubt include listening to them with empathy when the want to express themselves and helping with practical day-to-day tasks such as planning meals driving children to school.
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