Nihon University: Longer daily commutes linked to depression in high schoolers

A research team from Nihon University found that high school students who commute more than one hour each way have a higher risk of experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety than others.

The study pointed out that long-distance commuting was 1.6 times more likely to cause symptoms of depression and 1.5 times more likely to cause symptoms of anxiety, and that longer commuting times may have a negative impact on students' mental health.

Yuichiro Otsuka, an associate professor, and Suguru Nakajima, a senior researcher of public health at Nihon University conducted an online survey from October to December 2022 among 2,000 high school students in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku region, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

Of approximately 2,000 students surveyed, 17.3 percent exhibited depressive symptoms and 19 percent exhibited anxiety symptoms. All students attend private high schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku region. Approximately 30 percent of students reported that it took them more than an hour to travel to school.

High schoolers with commute times exceeding one hour were 1.6 times more likely to experience depression and 1.5 times more likely to experience anxiety compared to those with shorter commutes.

"Parents need to explore alternative transportation options or consider schools with shorter commute times," said Associate Professor Yuichiro Otsuka.

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