Rethinking the Fight Against Depression: What Lifestyle Changes Scientists Recommend
- Health Communicator
- Jun 22
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 3
AUDIO:
In the search for more effective and long-lasting solutions for people living with major depressive disorder (MDD), science is increasingly focusing on lifestyle as a critical factor in improving mental health. This article presents key information gathered and analyzed by an international team of experts and researchers—psychiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, psychologists, and patient representatives—who are part of the taskforce of the World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM).
The findings have been published in the scientific article "Clinical guidelines for the use of lifestyle-based mental health care in major depressive disorder" (Marx W. et al., The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 2023), which summarizes the latest scientific evidence on the role of physical activity, nutrition, sleep, social support, and other lifestyle factors in treating depression.
In the following sections, you’ll find the most important points patients or their loved ones need to know to make informed choices in the fight against depression—all based on the most up-to-date global recommendations.
