“We often think that people with depression have enough to deal with, so we don’t want to burden them by asking them to help others”, explain researchers from the Ohio State University. Mistake !
According to them, “Doing nice things for people and focusing on the needs of others can actually help people with depression and anxiety feel better regarding themselves. »
Reduction of depressive symptoms
To reach this conclusion regarding the antidepressant benefits of altruism, the authors recruited 122 people with moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.
They were then divided into three groups: two followed techniques traditionally used in cognitive-behavioral therapy and the third was instructed to perform three altruistic acts, two days a week. Baking cookies for friends, words of encouragement… So many examples of acts of kindness reported by the participants.
Ten weeks of intervention reduced depressive symptoms in all groups. “But acts of kindness have consistently shown more benefits in making people feel more connected to others, which is an important part of well-being”say the scientists.
According to them, “The mere fact of being surrounded is not enough”. The component “altruistic” is paramount.
