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

Published: 14:42 EST, 9 February 2017 | Updated: 14:43 EST, 9 February 2017

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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

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

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.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION?

Although depression may occur only one time during your life, usually people have multiple episodes of depression. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include:

Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness.

Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters.

Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports.

Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much.

Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort.

Changes in appetite — often reduced appetite and weight loss, but increased cravings for food and weight gain in some people.

Anxiety, agitation or restlessness.

Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements.

Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself for things that aren't your responsibility.

Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things.

Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide.

Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches.