Consult

The Research

Heat and mood: what the UCSF trials actually tested

Xavi Donobedian 1 min read

For World Mental Health Day. The research on heat and depression is promising and often misquoted. Here is what was actually done.

Person sitting peacefully in a warm cedar sauna

Today is World Mental Health Day. If you are struggling, please start with support. Lifeline is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14, and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

With that said, there is interesting research on heat and mood, and it deserves to be described accurately.

The idea

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have noted that people with depression tend to run slightly warmer and may regulate body temperature less effectively. Heating the body may prompt a stronger cooling response afterwards.

What UCSF tested

In a 2024 pilot, 16 adults with major depression received eight weekly sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy alongside whole-body heating in an infrared device. Of the 12 who completed treatment, 11 no longer met criteria for major depressive disorder.

In a 2025 randomised trial of 30 adults, the same combination of therapy and heating was well tolerated, and 86.2 per cent no longer met criteria at their final assessment.

What that does and does not mean

  • Heat was delivered alongside professional therapy, in a clinical study.
  • The studies were small, and the researchers are running larger trials.
  • The trials used a sauna manufacturer's device.
  • This is not evidence that a home sauna treats depression.

Where heat can fit

For many people, a warm, quiet ritual is a good part of looking after their mind: time away from screens, a moment to breathe, time with people they care about.

That is worth having. It sits alongside care, not in place of it.

Free: The Norge Longevity Guide. Heat, cold and light after 50, with the evidence and the safety rules in one place. Get the guide.

Sources

  1. UCSF Osher Center, Heat therapy shows promise in the treatment of depression, 2024
  2. Mason et al., A randomized trial testing CBT and whole-body hyperthermia, 2025
  3. NPR, Scientists are discovering that sauna's health benefits aren't all hot air, 2026

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, low blood pressure or are pregnant, speak with your GP before using heat or cold.

More from The Research