Desperately trying to keep a smile on your face will only make your depression worse, a new study suggests.

一项最新研究表明，强颜欢笑只会让你的抑郁更加严重。

Feeling content has become the sole goal for many in recent years, but embracing your sadness may be more beneficial.

University of Melbourne researchers said that society's downright shunning of being sad could be harmful for sufferers of the blues.

Dr Brock Bastian, a psychologist behind the study, said: 'Depression rates are higher in countries that place a premium on happiness.'

'Rather than being the by-product of a life well-lived, feeling happy has become a goal in itself. This reinforces the message that we should aim to maximise our positive emotions and avoid our negative ones'

Society needs to change its attitude on depression if the disorder is to be tackled effectively, Dr Bastian hinted.

He added that people have become so used to not showing signs of vulnerability due to social media being used to celebrate achievements.

For the study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, the researchers assessed 112 depressed patients. Each volunteer was asked to rate their symptoms of the blues and how much pressure they faced to be happy. They were tracked over a period of one month.