Lifestyle Advice good for Depression
Cognitive behaviour therapy supported by medication has been the conventional approach to treating depression. An article in the New Scientist covers recent research that shows that Lifestyle changes can also be effective in treating depression.
A couple of quotes from the article:
The recommended lifestyle changes are:
- moderate alcohol intake
- not smoking
- getting enough sleep
- regularly exercising
- eating a healthy diet
- frequently socializing
- minimizing sedentary behaviour
On average, the lifestyle intervention led to an 8.55-point decrease, 1.73 points more than the 6.82-point decrease in the CBT group.
Ashwini Nadkarni at Harvard Medical School. “Changes in one’s lifestyle can impact depression through several pathways, including inflammation, stress and neuroplasticity, which is the reorganisation of structure, function and connections in the brain.