Taking Trips Outside the Home Can Help Prevent Depression in Older Adults

A study from University College London found regular trips outside the home may be more emotionally impactful for seniors than assumed, with the finding that trips to experience "cultural engagement" can help adults over 50 avoid depression, reports Consumer Affairs . "People engage with culture for the pure enjoying of doing so, but we need to be raising awareness of their wider benefits too," stresses University College London's Daisy Fancourt. The researchers analyzed responses from more than 2,000 participants, and assessed their responses to various questionnaires and one-on-one interviews on how often they went to art galleries, museums, the theater, or movies. Participants who took trips to the opera or to concerts more often were more likely to do better emotionally. Those who went out once monthly were nearly 50 percent less likely to develop depression, while those who went every few months were 32 percent less likely. The team attributes the results to a mix of light physical activity, social interaction, mental stimulation, and creativity. "Cultural engagement is what we call a 'perishable commodity,'" Fancourt notes. "For it to have long-term benefits for mental health, we need to engage in activities regularly."