Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI The benefits of physical exercise and a good nutritional diet are as effective as psychological treatment for depression — one of the most common mental disorders worldwide — claimed a study.
Treating depression with exercise and a proper diet could also prove to be a cost-effective method for the mental health condition that ranks among the top 25 causes of global disease burden.
The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health, proved that diet and physical exercise have “the potential to provide mental health care with no lesser effects than cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) — a type of talk therapy — with psychologists”. It also showed that results can be achieved remotely, via online video conferencing, while eliminating the need for in-person treatment.
This may prove helpful to people from remote areas. The team based the study on 182 adults who suffered depression between May 2021 and April 2022.
Participants were divided into two groups for six 90-minute sessions over eight weeks using group-based, online video conferencing. One followed lifestyle therapy (with nutrition, and physical activity) with a dietitian and exercise physiologist while the other had psychotherapy (CBT) with psychologists.
