Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Travel May Benefit Mental Health More Than Expected, Research Finds
Researchers studied adults who were over 50 years old.
They compared people who traveled different distances.
Some people took no leisure trips, while others took day trips, domestic trips, or international trips.
The people who traveled internationally reported feeling the least depressed and lonely.
Domestic travelers came next.
Day-trippers followed them.
People who did not travel reported the most depression and loneliness.
The same pattern was still seen in a follow-up six years later.
The findings suggest travel and mental health may be connected, but the article does not say that travel alone causes better mental health.
Shu Cole of Indiana University studied travel, depression, and loneliness among adults over 50.
A 2024 analysis grouped people by whether they took no trips, day trips, domestic trips, or international trips.
International travelers reported the fewest depressive symptoms and the least loneliness.
Domestic travelers ranked next, followed by local day-trippers.
People who took no leisure trips reported the highest levels of depression and loneliness, with the pattern continuing in a six-year follow-up.
- Who
- Shu Cole at Indiana University's School of Public Health analyzed survey data from adults over 50.
- What
- The research examined how travel distance related to reported depression and loneliness.
- When
- The analysis was published in 2024, and the finding held in a six-year follow-up.
- Where
- The analysis used a national survey of adults in the United States.
- Why
- The researchers examined whether travel patterns were associated with mental-health outcomes.
- Researcher
- Shu Cole
- Institution
- Indiana University's School of Public Health
- Study population
- Adults over 50
- Analysis year
- 2024
- Travel groups
- No leisure trips, local day trips, domestic travel, and international travel
- Best reported outcomes
- International travelers reported the least depression and loneliness
- Follow-up
- The pattern held in a six-year follow-up