⬇️ Prefer to listen instead? ⬇️
- A study of over 14,000 U.S. adults found weekly sex linked to 24% lower odds of depression.
- Having sex 1–2 times per week seemed best for mental health.
- More sex than that didn’t seem to help mental health any more.
- Sex might improve mood because of hormones, how we feel inside, and social factors.
- Experts say they can’t prove cause and effect because of how the study was done.
Sex isn’t just about feeling good physically—it might also offer clues about how you feel emotionally. A big study recently showed a clear connection between how often people have sex and their emotional state. Specifically, people who had sex one to two times a week reported feeling less depressed. This suggests there might be a best amount of sex for feeling mentally well. Let’s look at the science behind this finding and what it tells us about sex and mental health.
How Science Connects Sex and Depression
Thinking about the role of sex in mental health is part of more research looking at how daily life choices affect how we feel mentally. Researchers from Shenzhen University and Shantou University Medical College led one of the most complete studies so far. They looked at whether someone’s sex life could show something about their mental health.
The study used information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This is a long-running U.S. health survey that collects details on diet, lifestyle, and past health. The study included 14,741 adults aged 20 to 59. People were asked how often they had sex in the past year. They also filled out the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a standard test used to check for depression.
This study is important because it used such a large and diverse set of data from across the country. The researchers checked for many other things that could matter, like age, gender, income, physical health, and if people had health insurance. This helped them get a clearer picture of just the link between how often people have sex and depression.
Key Finding: Having Sex Some of the Time Was Linked to Lower Chances of Depression
The study found a clear link between how often people had sex and how often they reported being depressed. People who said they had sex at least once a week were 24% less likely to report depression than those who said they had sex less than once a month. People who had sex a bit more often—between once a month and once a week—also saw similar good effects, being 23% less likely to be depressed.
This pattern held true even after the researchers considered other possible reasons, like if someone was married, how much money they made, if they had health problems, and more. It turned out that sexual activity was a factor connected to feeling emotionally well. This supports the general idea that sex and mental health are connected in important ways.
The study used special math tools to help understand the information. One tool, called logistic regression analysis, helped make sure other factors weren’t causing the link. Also, they used something called restricted cubic spline models. These helped the researchers find patterns in the data that weren’t just a straight line, which led them to find a “sweet spot” for how often people had sex.
The “Best” Amount: 1 to 2 Times Each Week
You might think having sex more and more would be better, but the information from the study showed something different. The connection between sex and depression wasn’t a straight line; it stopped getting stronger after a certain point.
The best amount for feeling mentally well seemed to be having sex about 52 to 103 times a year. That works out to roughly one to two times each week. People in this range reported the lowest rates of depression, based on their PHQ-9 scores.
Having sex more often than this didn’t show any more benefits for reducing depression. This means you get less benefit the more you do it after a certain point. After finding that “sweet spot,” having sex more often didn’t necessarily make people feel mentally better.
Finding a best amount of sex encourages us to look at sexual activity in a more balanced way. It’s not about having sex as much as possible, but about finding a balance that fits our personal lives and relationships.
Why Might Sex Help Mental Health? The Idea That Biology, Feelings, and Social Factors All Matter
To understand why having sex a moderate amount might help mental health, we can think about a model that includes biology, how we feel inside, and social factors.
Biological Factors
Having sex starts a series of chemical changes in the body. When people have intercourse and orgasm, the brain releases a mix of chemicals, including
- Endorphins – These are like natural pain relievers. They create good feelings and help lower stress.
- Dopamine – Often called the “pleasure chemical,” dopamine is a key part of the brain’s reward system.
- Oxytocin – Known as the “bonding hormone,” it helps people feel trust and closeness, especially after orgasm.
These boosts in brain chemicals are important for managing mood and stress. They might help protect people from the low feelings often seen in depression.
Physical Parts
Having sex can also be a type of physical activity. It makes your heart beat faster, burns calories, and uses muscles. Each of these things on its own helps improve physical and emotional health. And, feeling less stressed after sex can help lower cortisol (the stress hormone). This might lower worry and feelings of depression over time.
Feelings and Emotional Factors
When it comes to feelings, sex can lead to
- More closeness and connection – Feeling close to a partner is strongly tied to feeling happy and fulfilled.
- Higher self-esteem – Good sexual experiences can help people feel better about themselves.
- Feeling understood and supported emotionally – When in a good relationship, sexual closeness can offer comfort and a sense that you care for each other.
In relationships, people who are happy with their sex life often feel happier with their relationship overall. And being happy in a relationship can help protect against depression.
Patterns Found in Different Groups of People
The researchers also checked if certain groups of people showed stronger links between how often they had sex and depression. The results showed that the mental health benefits from having sex regularly were different for some groups
Age
- Young adults (ages 20–39) showed a particularly strong link between having sex often and lower depression. This might be because younger people generally have sex more often or expect to. If their experience doesn’t match what they expect, it could lead to feeling emotionally upset.
Ethnicity
- Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White participants showed a stronger statistical link between having sex often and fewer symptoms of depression. How different cultures view sex and mental health might play a role in both people’s actual behavior and how they report it.
Insurance Status
- People without health insurance seemed to get more mental health benefit from having sex often. It’s possible that when people don’t have health care support, other things like feeling close to someone become even more important for how they feel mentally.
Interestingly, the study didn’t find major differences based on gender, income level, or how much education people had. This suggests that the link between the best amount of sex and depression might be true for many different kinds of people.
Things to Be Careful About: It Depends on the Situation
Even though the findings are hopeful, we need to be careful when thinking about what they mean because the study had some limits.
Study Design Took Just One Snapshot
The biggest limit is that the study only looked at things at one point in time. It didn’t follow people over time to see how things changed. This means we can’t say for sure that having sex causes less depression. Maybe people who are less depressed are just more likely to have sex.
People Reported Their Own Information
People reported how often they had sex and how they felt mentally. This means the information might not be perfectly accurate. People might forget things, say what they think the researchers want to hear, or not report everything fully.
Some Things Were Not Included
Some important things were not included in the study, such as
- How happy people were with their relationships
- How well their bodies handled sex
- What their sexual orientation or identity was
- What kind of sexual activity they had (alone or with a partner)
Each of these things could really change how someone feels about sex and what it means to them mentally.
How to Think About and Use These Findings
It might seem easy to just say “have sex one to two times a week” to feel better, but in real life, things are more complex. It’s not about hitting a specific number. It’s about having close moments that feel good emotionally and that everyone involved agrees to.
Especially for clients taking medicines for depression—which often affect sex drive—keeping track of how often they have sex and how happy they are with it can help doctors tailor treatment plans.
Thinking of Sexual Activity as a Sign for Mental Health
Just like changes in appetite, sleep, or energy levels, changes in sexual behavior can point to underlying emotional changes. If someone’s sex drive suddenly drops, it might be a sign that depression is starting, even before they realize they feel sad.
By looking at sexual activity as something that can signal how someone is doing, doctors can spot potential problems sooner. This way of looking at mental health considers the whole person—including both what’s happening in their body and their experiences.
Even people themselves can benefit from noticing changes in their desire for sex, how much they enjoy it, and how things are going in their relationships. These changes can be early warnings or confirmations of shifts in how they feel mentally.
Simple Steps for Readers
If you want to think about how this information fits into your own life, here are some things you could do
- Have open talks with your partner about both what you need physically and emotionally.
- Don’t compare your sex life to other people’s. Find what feels right for you and your relationship.
- If you feel down for a long time, or notice less desire for sex or less pleasure, think about talking to a mental health professional.
- Pay attention to patterns—changes in wanting sex might show bigger emotional or physical trends.
- Learn more about how sex is connected to emotional life from trusted sources based on good research.
Last Thoughts: A Fuller Picture of Feeling Well
How we feel mentally isn’t built alone. It grows with closeness, touch, being present, and, for many, being intimate. Having sex isn’t a cure-all, but seeing how it matters for our feelings can be helpful. Instead of seeing sex as just a fun extra or something not to talk about, we can see it as one piece of the puzzle that makes up human happiness and mental health.
Today’s mental health care is moving toward looking at the whole person, including physical health, feelings, and relationships. Including talks about sexual behavior, how much people enjoy it, and how often they have sex isn’t just right—it’s needed to provide care that sees the whole person.
Curious how your daily habits might be helping or hurting how you feel mentally? Sign up for The Neuro Times to get more insights based on science about emotional health, closeness, and the brain.
Citations
- Chen, M., Yi, R., & Zhang, Z. (2024). Optimal sexual frequency may exist and help mitigate depression odds in young and middle-aged U.S. citizens: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 340, 55–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.043
