Call it taking steps to mental health.

Daily walking could help reduce the risks of clinical depression, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers from Spain, Uruguay, Ecuador and Chile found strong evidence linking higher daily step counts to fewer depressive symptoms in a systematic review of 33 studies that involved 96,173 adults around the globe.

The findings build on research linking daily steps to reduced heart disease risks and are the first to suggest exercise could likewise prevent depression in adults, the researchers said in an article in the U.S. medical journal.

“Our results showed significant associations between higher numbers of daily steps and fewer depressive symptoms as well as lower prevalence and risk of depression in the general adult population,” the researchers said. “The objective measurement of daily steps may represent an inclusive and comprehensive approach to public health that has the potential to prevent depression.”

However, they noted that other explanations for the link between walking and mood may be possible, adding that further research is needed for clarity.

Their analysis of the 33 studies from Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania and South America found that adults who took 5,000 or more daily steps showed a marked reduction in depression symptoms compared with those living a “sedentary lifestyle” of fewer than 5,000 daily steps.

Adults who took more than 7,500 steps a day had a 42% lower prevalence of depression relative to those more sedentary adults in studies that analyzed people at a single point in time. The studies used wearable devices to track steps and showed the same results for all gender, age and weight groups.

Other studies that followed groups of adults over extended periods found that those who increased their walks by 1,000 steps to more than 7,000 a day had a 9% to 31% lower risk of developing depression.

Common symptoms of clinical depression include persistent negative feelings, fatigue, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating, morbid thoughts, social isolation and physical aches and pains.

According to some mental health providers not connected with the JAMA Network Open study, the findings confirm years of psychological research and practice that suggest exercise creates a chemical release protecting the brain against depression.

“When you exercise or walk, your brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, as well as endorphins that are ten times more powerful than morphine,” said Vince Callahan, a family psychologist and founder of the Florida Institute of Neural Discovery. “Your brain cannot feel depression at the same time it feels good, so whenever a positive neurotransmitter is introduced it chases away the negative.”

• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.