Coffee And Mental Health: Is There A Connection?
Lifestyle adjustments can have a significant impact on your mental, physical, and emotional health. This can include developing habits such as a reliable sleep schedule, time with friends and social communities, acceptable consumption of caffeine, stress management, physical activity, and even your morning beverage—whether it's coffee or another drink.
It’s no secret that coffee is adored and consumed by many people worldwide. Caffeine and the drinks it comes in are quite popular. But, how do you know if it’s affecting your physical and mental health? Is there a connection between depression and caffeine?
Is my depression caused by caffeine?
If you’re a caffeine connoisseur, you might wonder if caffeine intake has an influence on your mental health. Depressive disorders have a number of identified, evidenced risk factors. Recognized risk factors for depression include but are not restricted to:
- Family mental health history
- Personal mental health history
- The presence of physical health conditions
- Socioeconomic status (SES)
- Trauma and adverse childhood experiences
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
A meta-analysis of 15 different studies, conducted by the Qingdao University Medical College in China, found that the amount of caffeine that led to a decreased risk of depression was between 68 mg per day and below 509 mg per day. This study also deduced that each cup of coffee consumed daily might reduce the ability to develop depression by as much as eight percent. It should be noted that this refers to an average-sized cup of coffee (about 8 to 12 ounces).
Moderation matters, however. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that, if consumed in excess, caffeine can have the opposite effect. 400 mg and under is cited as a safe amount for healthy adult individuals.
Ways caffeine can worsen depression
There’s a possible caveat to this research that could affect some people: caffeine is known to keep us awake. In fact, many of us drink coffee because it keeps us awake. It can be helpful when it does its job throughout the morning and into the afternoon, but when caffeine—or anything else for that matter—keeps us up all night, it becomes a problem. Any disruption to a person’s sleep can affect their mood. To be more specific, too little sleep can increase symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Caffeine affects our ability to fall asleep at night and stay asleep. If you drink coffee and wake up throughout the night, the awakenings could be linked to your caffeine consumption and other lifestyle choices. To prevent this, you may reserve the consumption of coffee and other caffeine sources for early in the day.
In addition to sleep disruption, individuals who over-consume caffeine or are sensitive to the substance may face gastrointestinal distress, headaches, and jitters. If you consume caffeine in excess, it is advised that you reduce the amount you consume in gradual steps.
We are all different, and though there are broad recommendations for caffeine intake, these may not work for everyone. They also can vary based on personal health and lifestyle. Talk with your doctor about caffeine consumption for personalized recommendations and guidance.
Tea versus coffee
What if you gravitate toward tea over coffee? While both tea and coffee often have similar ingredients, including caffeine and tannic acid, coffee appears to be better than tea at combating depression. This is because coffee has certain properties, such as ferulic acid and caffeic acid, that make coffee an anti-inflammatory, and, as such, can reduce the inflammation of brain cells, which some studies on depression note the presence of.
While coffee may be more effective at preventing or lessening depression than many teas, green tea, in particular, can be just as effective as coffee in this regard. This is because green tea is high in antioxidants and other chemicals that may combat depression. Folate, for example, is believed to be effective at boosting one’s mood, and theanine has been shown to increase the levels of both dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
A study conducted in Japan deduced that a diet rich in the consumption of green tea, coffee, and caffeine, in general, could help against depression. Some research even notes that the ingestion of dark chocolate, which contains caffeine, can correlate with lower depression symptoms.
Can caffeine resolve my depression?
With all of the positive research in mind, caffeine, whether you get it through coffee, tea, or another source, is not a depression treatment. If you’ve been experiencing symptoms of depression (such as not being able to get out of bed, ongoing low mood, social withdrawal or isolation, irritability, feeling hopeless, guilty, or worthless, and/or no longer enjoying activities that you previously loved), it’s important to seek help.
Both research and personal stories show how therapy can be a powerful tool in reducing depression symptoms, and online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy.
How therapy can help
Depressive disorders often require professional treatment. Mental health therapy for depressive disorders like major depressive disorder (MDD) may be conducted face-to-face or through remote means like video chat. If you are interested in mental health therapy for depression symptoms or another concern, BetterHelp is here for you. Online therapy is a convenient and affordable way to get the support that you need. All you need is a few minutes and an internet connection to sign up.
BetterHelp offers plans that vary in cost and allow you to talk with your independent, licensed therapist through phone, video, or text. When compared to face-to-face options, online therapy has been backed by research as an equally effective form of treatment for several different mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and more.
Read the reviews below to learn how people have used BetterHelp’s services to fight depression and improve their quality of life.
Therapist reviews
“Tamera is straightforward and supportive. She’s not afraid of pointing out what to work on and giving you the right tools immediately. It is highly personalized just for your unique symptoms and situation! Tamera helped me manage my depression and anxiety and I became more empowered to have more control in my life. I feel a lot happier.”
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“Heidi has been a great help. I’m so very thankful. I was having a hard time getting my thoughts in order and was at an all-time low with my depression because I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Heidi’s guidance helped me tremendously and I am ever so grateful.”
Takeaway
Does coffee make you depressed after?
There’s currently no research to suggest that consuming coffee can trigger mood disorders like depression or increase depression risk, but it could exacerbate symptoms of an existing depressive condition. For one, caffeine can interfere with sleep quality which can worsen mood—and low mood is already a common symptom of depression.
Plus, the temporary increase in dopamine and the resulting mood boost that caffeine may cause could lead to a drop in mood later when the effects of a few cups of coffee wear off. Someone who drinks caffeine regularly and then stops could also be at risk for caffeine withdrawal, and one of the potential withdrawal symptoms is depressed mood.
For these reasons, individuals who are at risk of depression, are living with depression, or are asking themselves, “Why does coffee make me depressed?” may want to consider limiting or avoiding caffeine so as to potentially prevent making any symptoms of depression worse.
Can coffee trigger depression and anxiety?
There’s no scientific evidence to suggest that coffee and caffeine consumption in general can cause or trigger depression or anxiety. That said, it is possible for one of the negative effects of caffeine sources like this to be an exacerbation of symptoms of either/both disorders.
For example, trouble sleeping is a common symptom of depression, and the effects of caffeine can make falling asleep even more difficult. Similarly, someone who already experiences symptoms of anxiety like muscle tension, headaches, and being easily startled could see these worsen after consuming caffeine—especially a high dose. Research also suggests that coffee may increase the likelihood of having a panic attack.
Can coffee mess with your mood?
Coffee intake can temporarily increase dopamine in the brain, which is a chemical associated with positive mood. According to the American Medical Association, this means that caffeinated coffee could help improve low mood associated with depression when consumed in small doses. It could also cause a mild to severe drop in mood after the effects wear off, however—particularly if initially consumed in large doses.
Conversely, too much coffee could negatively impact sleep, which could affect mood as well. If you’re experiencing mood-related challenges, limiting or avoiding caffeine to see how it affects you could be helpful—as could meeting with a therapist for support.
Why does coffee make me tired and sad?
The effects of drinking coffee can be diverse depending on how much you drink, how often you drink it, and any mental health conditions you may already be experiencing. For one, drinking too much coffee can negatively affect sleep, which can make you feel tired the next day and potentially impact your mood as a result. That means those who are already experiencing sleep problems and/or low mood as a result of a mental health condition like depression could feel tired and sad after drinking coffee. Additionally, if you’ve built up a tolerance to certain caffeine levels, you may still feel tired after drinking coffee because it doesn’t have as strong a stimulant effect as it once did.
Why do I feel bad after I drink coffee?
Coffee is a diuretic, which means that it can lead to dehydration. Dehydration can cause thirst, headache, and lightheadedness. Some people may also experience nausea and/or stomachache after consuming coffee, especially if it contains refined sugar or is high in chlorogenic acid. In terms of mental effects, it’s possible to feel jittery and wired after consuming too much coffee, or to experience sleepiness and low mood if the consumption of coffee the day before affected your sleep.
Why can't I tolerate caffeine?
A person’s ability to tolerate caffeine may have to do with their genetics. Research suggests that certain genes that relate to receptors of cytochrome, the enzyme responsible for caffeine metabolism, can affect an individual’s susceptibility to various effects of the substance.
Does quitting coffee improve mood?
In low doses, caffeine may help increase dopamine in the brain, which is a chemical associated with positive mood. However, drinking too much coffee could affect mood negatively over time by leading to a post-caffeine mood drop and by interfering with sleep. If you suspect you may be experiencing mood challenges as a result of caffeine, limiting or avoiding it could be worth trying.
Is coffee good for depression?
Caffeine in low doses could help improve mood somewhat since it can trigger increased dopamine in the brain. This effect is temporary, however, and people with depression could experience a more severe drop in mood once its effects wear off.
In addition, since coffee can also negatively impact sleep, it could exacerbate symptoms of depression such as trouble sleeping and low mood that could result. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition like mild depression to severe depression, seeking the support of a mental health professional is usually recommended.
Is coffee an antidepressant?
Coffee could help improve mood in some people because it may stimulate the release of “feel-good” chemicals in the brain such as dopamine and serotonin. Note, however, that coffee is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment if you're experiencing symptoms of depression.
Other studies suggest that regular, moderate caffeine consumption could potentially improve the efficacy of pharmacological antidepressants. Speak to your doctor or psychiatrist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Is coffee a stimulant or a depressant?
Coffee is a stimulant, which means that it increases activity in the brain and the nervous system overall. That’s why tea, coffee, and caffeinated beverages like energy drinks can make a person feel energized, alert, and even jittery.
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