It's also unknown whether the higher body temperature observed in people with depression reflects decreased ability to self-cool, increased generation of heat from metabolic processes or a combination of both.

The results showed that with each increasing level of depression symptom severity, participants had higher body temperatures.

The findings shed light on how a novel depression treatment method might work, said Ashley Mason, PhD, the study's lead author and associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.

"Ironically, heating people up actually can lead to rebound body temperature lowering that lasts longer than simply cooling people down directly, as through an ice bath," said Mason, who is also a clinical psychologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health.

"To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date to examine the association between body temperature -- assessed using both self-report methods and wearable sensors -- and depressive symptoms in a geographically broad sample," added Mason.

"Given the climbing rates of depression in the United States, we're excited by the possibilities of a new avenue for treatment."

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