Zhao Y, Liao JW, Huang QT. Role of chronotype in depression. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(10): 109087 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i10.109087]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Qiao-Ting Huang, MD, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 West Huangpu Avenue, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China. qiaoting_huang@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Oct 19, 2025; 15(10): 109087 Published online Oct 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i10.109087
Role of chronotype in depression
Yang Zhao, Ji-Wu Liao, Qiao-Ting Huang
Yang Zhao, Ji-Wu Liao, Qiao-Ting Huang, Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China
Co-first authors: Yang Zhao and Ji-Wu Liao.
Author contributions: Zhao Y and Liao JW contributed equally to this work; Huang QT conceptualised and designed the study, created the artwork, supervised, and made critical revisions; Zhao Y and Liao JW conducted the literature review, interpretation of data and drafted the original manuscript; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou, China, No. 2025A03J4256 and No. 2025A03J4239.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Huang QT and Liao JW report grants from Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, during the conduct of the study.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Qiao-Ting Huang, MD, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 West Huangpu Avenue, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China. qiaoting_huang@163.com
Received: May 12, 2025 Revised: June 19, 2025 Accepted: August 13, 2025 Published online: October 19, 2025 Processing time: 140 Days and 4.4 Hours
Abstract
Depression is a widespread and debilitating mental health disorder affecting millions globally. Chronotype has been increasingly recognized as a significant factor associated with depression. This review aims to comprehensively dissect the role of chronotype in depression, providing insights into the underlying mechanisms linking chronotype to depression, as well as the potential therapeutic implications. Converging evidence indicates that evening chronotype is notably associated with an elevated risk of depression, more severe symptoms, and a higher rate of suicidality, while morning chronotype may exert a protective effect. These findings highlight that chronotype plays a crucial role in the development, manifestation, and management of depression. Nevertheless, some methodological issues of the existing studies (e.g., reliance on self-reported chronotype assessments) should be noted and discussed. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the intricate mechanisms underlying the relationship between chronotype and depression, establish causal links, and optimize the clinical application of chronotype-based interventions for depression.
Core Tip: Growing evidence highlights the role of chronotype in depression. This review summarizes the association between chronotype and depression, dissecting the underlying mechanisms including neurotransmitter system dysregulation, circadian rhythm disruption, sleep disturbance, and genetic factors. It also explores the therapeutic implications of light therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and pharmacotherapy in the context of different chronotypes. The findings emphasize that evening chronotype is linked to an elevated risk, severe symptoms, and higher suicidality in depression, while morning chronotype may exert a protective effect. These insights could guide future research and personalized clinical strategies.
