Therapeutic Lifestyle Change infographic description

The infographic is titled Thinking Critically About: Therapeutic Lifestyle Change. The learning objective question 16-14 reads, why is therapeutic lifestyle change considered an effective biomedical therapy, and how does it work?

The infographic starts with the text that reads, Lifestyle (exercise, nutrition, relationships, recreation, service to others, relaxation, and religious or spiritual engagement). An arrow from lifestyle leads to influences our brain and body. Another arrow from influences brain and body leads to affects our mental health (Sánchez-Villegas et al., 2015; Walsh, 2011).

The infographic shows early men cooking meat in fire and the back view of a mother taking a walk with her little son. Text reads "Our shared history has prepared us to be physical activity and socially engaged. Our ancestors hunted, gathered, and built-in groups. Modern researchers have found that outdoor activity in a natural environment reduces stress and promotes health (MacKerron and Mourato, 2013; NEEF, 2015; Phillips, 2011)." It further shows "Application to therapy" to show training seminars promote therapeutic lifestyle change (Ilardi, 2009). Small groups of people with depression undergo a 12-week training program with the following goals: Aerobic exercise, 30 minutes a day, at least three times weekly (increases fitness and vitality, stimulates endorphins), regular aerobic exercise rivals the healing power of antidepressant drugs (Babyak et al., 2000; Salmon, 2001; Schuch et al., 2016). Light exposure, 15 to 30 minutes each morning with a lightbox (amplifies arousal, influences hormones); Reducing rumination, by identifying and redirecting negative thoughts (enhances positive thinking); Adequate sleep, with a goal of 7 to 8 hours per night (boosts immunity and increases energy, alertness, and mood (Gregory et al., 2009; Walker & van der Helm, 2009); Social connection, with less alone time and at least two meaningful social engagements weekly (helps satisfy the human need to belong); Nutritional supplements, including a daily supplement with omega 3 fatty acids (reduces aggressive behavior) (Bègue et al., 2017; Raine et al., 2018). Below the application therapy is an initial small study among 74 participants (Ilardi, 2009, 2016) that revealed 77 percent of those who completed the program experienced relief from depressive symptoms and only 19 percent of those assigned to a treatment-as-usual control group showed similar results.

Text below the study reads, future research will try to identify which parts of the treatment produce the therapeutic effect. Text at the bottom of the infographic reads "The biomedical therapies assume that mind and body are a unit: Affect one and you will affect the other."