At this day and age, many people suffer from depression due to increased pressure in school, career, and life. When stress builds, people must find ways to reduce stress before things get worse. If the situation remains uncontrollable, stress can arise and this can lead to depression. The most common forms of treatment for depression are medication and psychotherapy. However, a recent report shows that people suffering from depression can take advantage of some of the easy walk in the park.
According to a study conducted by scientists from Stanford University and the University of Michigan, the quality of memory has improved - people who have suffered from depression after walking through the park compared to walking through a busy urban area. This study was led by Mark Berman, Ph.D., from the Rothman Bakest Research Institute in Toronto. From sunset, he stressed that walking in the natural environment does not replace drug treatment and psychotherapy. Berman is a supporter of the theory of attention recovery (ART), and research reinforces some ideas and concepts in this field of cognitive science. "Theory of the restoration of attention" implies that people who spend some time in their natural environment, or even look at scenes of nature, have a higher level of concentration. It is important not to overwork the brain, and these peaceful settings can help to give some form of response so that a person’s cognitive abilities can be updated and restored.
In 2008, Berman published a research paper in the field of psychology, where he studied the attention and memory of a group of healthy adults regarding two types of walking. After the participants walked through nature for one hour, they demonstrated a 20 percent improvement in attention and memory tests compared to walking in a noisy urban environment for one hour.
Using the same model, Berman conducted a more recent study to study the possible cognitive benefits for people suffering from depression, and when walking in the natural environment can improve their mood. Initially, researchers were worried that a walk in the park might even worsen the mood of those who were depressed and diminished their memory abilities. They argued that people suffering from depression would be filled with negative thoughts, so they believe that it is absolutely impossible that those who are depressed will benefit from just walking in nature.
In the study, a group of 20 people suffering from clinical depression was enrolled in Michigan. The initial tests were conducted by the participants before they began to take their one-hour walk, either in the center of Ann Arbor or in the Arboretum of Ann Arbor, and they were told to think about some painful personal experience. After the walk, participants were given a series of mental tests to measure their working or short-term memory and attention, and their mood was assessed. The conclusion of the study showed that walking in the park can benefit people suffering from depression.
