As valuable as these activities may be for promoting mental health, they have received less research attention than have interventions for mental disorders. Couples therapy is the umbrella term applied to interventions that aid couples in distress. The review found that about 65 percent of couples in therapy did improve, whereas 35 percent of control couples also improved. Couples therapy ameliorates relationship distress and appears to alleviate depression. Greater research is needed to overcome gaps in knowledge and to extend findings to a broader array of programs, to diverse populations of couples, and to a wider set of outcomes, including effects on children.
Physical activities are a means to enhance somatic health as well as to deal with stress.
Aerobic physical activities, such as brisk walking and running, were found to improve mental health for people who report symptoms of anxiety and depression and for those who are diagnosed with some forms of depression. This study investigated 150 primary care patients who did not meet diagnostic criteria for depression and who were being seen in a public clinic for other problems. One year later, those who received psychoeducation were found to have developed significantly fewer depression symptoms than members of the control group. This study demonstrated in a methodologically rigorous fashion that depression may be preventable in some cases. It serves as a model for extending the concept of prevention to many mental disorders.