Canadians suffering from depression are more inclined to want to make positive health changes than those who are not depressed, says a recent study out of the University of Ottawa. Study respondents viewed exercise as the most important health behaviour change they wanted to implement, but viewed lack of willpower as the biggest barrier to change.
“Because of their depression, it may be more difficult for people to implement these changes,” says Zahra Clayborne, PhD student in Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and lead author of the paper.
The researchers view individuals’ desire to make change as promising, given an emerging body of evidence linking depression and poor health behaviours such as a low-quality diet, smoking and reduced physical activity. Due in part to its link to poor physical health outcomes like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, depression represents a significant burden at the individual, economic and societal levels.
The study showed that after exercise, the most important changes sought by those with depression were reducing or quitting smoking, and changes in eating habits. Indeed, research shows that activities like increasing exercise, a better diet, and cutting down on smoking and drinking will help with depression.
Respondents named willpower as the biggest barrier to their success in implementing positive changes, but the paper’s authors noted this as an opportunity for friends and family to step in.
“Cooking a healthy meal together, or strapping on your shoes and asking a friend in need to join you for a walk, are areas in which one’s support group can step in and lend encouragement,” says Dr. Ian Colman, co-author of the paper and associate professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine, of those wishing to help their loved ones experiencing depression. “It can be really helpful for those suffering to have this kind of support network.”
The researchers say their findings, obtained by examining data collected from over 65,000 Canadians, have important implications in highlighting lifestyle modification as a potential treatment for depression.
Main photo credit: Eaters Collective
