Your Messy House: Why It Could Be Making You Depressed

Feeling down? Chances are good that your bed isn’t made, the kitchen’s a mess and the bathroom could use a deep cleaning. Am I right? One expert believes that a chaotic home environment could be a contributor to depression. What’s the state of your home right now?

While I was away on maternity leave, Maridel wrote about how a messy apartment affects her happiness. (Totally with you there, Maridel!). But, some experts believe a home in disarray could also contribute to depression.

According to Yahoo Health expert David Neubauer, M.D., depression can be predicted by genetic factors coupled with stressful situations. “A good general way to think of the factors that lead to depression is with the two-hit hypothesis,” he writes. “This model suggests that people become depressed when the effects of their genetic composition–which itself puts them somewhere on a scale of low-to-high likelihood of eventually developing depression–combine with stressful life experiences.”

And, a messy, chaotic, unruly house is one such stressful life experience, he says. Who knew that huge pile of unfolded laundry in your bedroom could have such an effect?

What do you think? Have you seen a correlation between depression and the state of your home? I have to say yes to that!