Deakin University and Barwon Health are partnering to research the importance of diet and exercise in treating COVID-19 related depression.<\/p>\n
The research centres on a ‘CALM’ program Deakin University researchers created. It involves an eight-week, group-based, telehealth trial with Barwon Health’s Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Services (MHDAS) which aims to reduce mental health symptoms adults experiencing elevated psychological distress.<\/p>\n
Research lead and director of Deakin’s Heart and Mind Research associate professor Adrienne O’Neil said evidence suggests there should be a greater emphasis on the role of diet and exercise in people’s mental health.<\/p>\n
“Lifestyle targets are the cornerstone for prevention and management of diabetes and heart disease, but not currently for mental disorders,” Prof. O’Neil said.<\/p>\n
“There is good evidence diet and exercise can complement standard care, but we don’t know if they are as good as standard psychological care.<\/p>\n
“This is the first study to test this approach directly with psychotherapy in a real-world mental health setting. This evidence is critical if we are to see lifestyle-based care become an embedded part of mental health care in the future.”<\/p>\n
The effectiveness of the CALM program will be measured in comparison with established psychotherapy in 184 patients presenting to Barwon Health emergency or MHDAS.<\/p>\n
The research is being funded through the federal government’s Medical Research Future Fund COVID-19 Mental Health Research.<\/p>\n
Prof. O’Neil said the pandemic made the research particularly important.<\/p>\n
“We know the mental health of Australians has deteriorated since the COVID-19 outbreak, especially for young people and women who have been overly represented in job losses and overburdened with childcare.”<\/p>\n
Prof. O’Neil said CALM’s accessibility and affordability suggest the program has significant potential.<\/p>\n
“In Australia, we spend $9.9 billion on mental health services every year. In Geelong, we have seen mental health-related presentations spike over the past three years,” she said.<\/p>\n
“CALM aims to provide a mental health program that is easy to access through existing mental health services and is cost-effective.<\/p>\n
“We hope this will provide future treatment options for people with mental health concerns.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Deakin University and Barwon Health are partnering to research the importance of diet and exercise in treating COVID-19 related depression. The research centres on a ‘CALM’ program Deakin University researchers created. It involves an eight-week, group-based, telehealth trial with Barwon Health’s Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Services (MHDAS) which aims to reduce mental health symptoms […]<\/p>\n