When antidepressants were created nearly 40 years ago, they were expected to be a breakthrough in treating mental illness. Instead, rates of depression have kept rising. Perhaps because we are missing the bigger picture.
There is tremendous evidence that lifestyle changes can treat depression. Exercise is effective, and dietary changes can be just as valuable as the most evidence-backed therapy. As psychologist Kimberley Wilson shows, proper nutrition makes it easier for people to control their emotions, and eating omega-3 is linked with a reduced risk of depression and suicidal ideation.
The antidepressant-backed mental health model was intended to be rigorous, mimicking methods in physical healthcare. But it was also political, with US mental health researchers receiving less funding to explore the social factors around mental health under President Richard Nixon. Decades on, practitioners like Wilson are finally challenging this approach and, this time, physical health can learn from holistic mental healthcare.
We need to engage with our whole body and mind to be well, not just rely on drugs Indeed, nearly every aspect of health benefits hugely from engaging with lifestyle and community. Instead of seeing health problems as something to be fixed with drugs, we need to engage with our whole body and mind to be well. That isn’t to say medication can’t play a role.
GLP-1s are just a recent example of a medication that has had a dramatic impact in helping people grapple with diabetes and cardiovascular health, as well as depression and low self-esteem. Children are also increasingly being prescribed GLP-1s. But even cutting-edge medical research now recognises that our understanding of health needs to be less fragmented.
Researchers are increasingly aware of the gut-brain axis, the heart-brain axis and other interconnected systems that affect our health. No one cell, organ or person becomes ill in isolation. The more we start to understand our health as a reflection of our whole being, community and society, the healthier we will be.
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