Exerciseis better than NHS help for beating depression

GOING out for dinner or playing a round of golf could be a cheaper and more effective way for combating depression than the gold standard treatment available on the NHS, according to new research

Behavioural Activation (BA) focuses on increasing mood-boosting activities such as going out to dinner or exercising.

It is relatively simple and can be delivered by more junior staff with less training.

It costs about 20 percent less than cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking treatment that focuses on thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, meaning it could help ease current difficulties in accessing treatment.

About one in five adults in the UK experiences anxiety or depression.

Professor David Richards, of the University of Exeter, said: “Effectively treating depression at low cost is a global priority.

“Our finding is the most robust evidence yet that Behavioural Activation is just as effective as CBT, meaning an effective workforce could be trained much more easily and cheaply without any compromise on the high level of quality.”

Clinical depression is the second largest cause of disability globally, affecting 350 million people worldwide.