Key Findings
- Lifestyle Therapy Benefits: Nutrition and physical activity can reduce mild to moderate depression, similar to traditional psychotherapy.
- Research Origin: Conducted by Deakin University’s Food and Mood Centre.
- Methodology: 182 participants with mild to moderate depression were randomly assigned to either lifestyle therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Study Details
- Lifestyle Therapy:
- Delivered by dietitians and exercise physiologists.
- Focus on increasing daily physical activity and improving diet based on a modified Mediterranean diet.
- Participants used Fitbits for health tracking.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT):
- Delivered by psychologists.
- Included methods to manage unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
- Participants received workbooks and stress-relief tools.
Results
- Symptom Reduction:
- Lifestyle therapy participants saw a 42% reduction in depressive symptoms.
- CBT participants experienced a 37% reduction.
- Cost Efficiency:
- Lifestyle therapy was slightly cheaper due to lower hourly rates of dietitians and exercise physiologists compared to psychologists.
Expert Opinions
- Prof Adrienne O’Neil:
- Emphasized the matched nature of the therapies in terms of frequency, length, and setting.
- Highlighted the unique integration of nutrition and exercise in the study.
- Scarlett Smout:
- Stressed the need for replication of findings outside pandemic conditions.
- Warned against broad extrapolations, like self-managing mental health without expert advice.
- Suggested the integration of both lifestyle and psychotherapy-based mental healthcare.
Future Implications
- The study supports the inclusion of lifestyle modifications in psychiatric care.
- Potential for dietitians and exercise physiologists to be part of the mental health workforce.
- Further research needed on severe mental health conditions and larger, more diverse samples.
Conclusion
The study shows promising results for the role of nutrition and exercise in managing mild to moderate depression. While not a replacement for professional mental health care, these lifestyle changes could complement traditional therapies, helping to address mental health workforce shortages and provide comprehensive care.