Acts of Kindness Help Relieve Depression

People suffering from symptoms of depression or anxiety may be able to ease their conditions by doing good deeds for others, new research shows. The study found that performing acts of kindness led to improvements not seen in two other therapeutic techniques used to treat depression or anxiety. Most importantly, the acts-of-kindness technique was the only intervention tested that helped people feel more connected to others. “Social connection is one of the ingredients of life most strongly associated with well-being. Performing acts of kindness seems to be one of the best ways to promote those connections,” said study co-author David Cregg, who led the work as part of his PhD dissertation in psychology at The Ohio State University. The study was published in The Journal of Positive Psychology. The research also revealed why performing acts of kindness worked so well: It helped people take their minds off their own depression and anxiety symptoms. This finding suggests that assuming that people with depression and anxiety should not be burdened may not be correct. In fact, doing nice things for people and focusing on the needs of others may actually help people with depression and anxiety feel better about themselves, according to the researchers. The study involved 122 people who had moderate to severe symptoms of depression. They were divided into three groups (two received cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, and the third was assigned to acts of kindness). After 10 weeks, participants in all three groups showed an increase in life satisfaction and a reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms. However, in comparison, the acts-of-kindness group showed greater overall improvements.

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