Mental Health: What You Yourself Can Do

By Shlomo Maital  

    There is a global mental health crisis.  The World Health Organization reports that worldwide, 350 million people suffer from depression – more than the population of the United States.  And that is clearly an underestimate.   

       Yale University Psychologist Alan Kazdin, writing in the Feb-March issue of American Psychologist,[1] notes there is a “treatment gap” – between those who need care, and those who actually receive it.   Economists call this a supply-demand gap.  And in mental health, it is large and growing.  One reason Kazdin cites is the inability of traditional one-on-one (one therapist, one patient) treatment to meet rising needs.

        Kazdin has a practical suggestion:  “familiar interventions that can have impact on mental health” that one can do oneself.  Among them:  physical activity, contact with nature, and yoga.

        Physical activity:  Exercise can improve well-being and reduce stress.  Many studies prove it.  Even minimal amounts of physical exercise provide major benefits:  walking, biking, and stationary biking.  And exercise has no stigma – it is widely done and need not be seen as a ‘treatment’ for mental disorders, Kazdin observes.

        Contact with Nature:  Walking, hiking or biking through parks or other natural venues have major benefits to mental health,  Kazdin notes, citing many studies, including improved mood, cognitive functioning, happiness, subjective well-being, sleep, and self-esteem.   Contact with Nature offers a ‘double whammy’ —  physical conditioning as well as the mental strength that accompanies it. 

        Yoga:  Yoga is a spiritual discipline and set of practices “that are designedto bring harmony between the mind and body.”  Yoga has been practiced, beginning in India, for thousands of years.  It includes a variety of movements, postures, breath control, relaxation, mindfulness and meditation.   Yoga is widely practiced;  some studies show between 10% and 14% of the adult population of the US practice some form of it.  Yoga is highly flexible; each individual may choose a variant suitable to their needs and nature.

     As an amateur, I would add one more item to Kazdin’s list.   Find a friend or friends or acquaintances who themselves need support, friendship and help.  Helping others in distress often puts our own in clearer perspective.

[1] Alan E. Kazdin. “Interventions in everyday life to improve mental health and reduce symptoms of psychiatric disorders”.  American Psychologist, Feb.-March 2024, pp. 183-209.