Therapists Use Cooking Courses to Treat Patients With Depression and Anxiety

Some health care professionals are taking the "food is medicine" mantra to a new level. According to the Wall Street Journal, counselors are now using "cooking or baking as therapy tools" for people suffering from mental-health problems like depression and anxiety. Patients — who often live "tough, chaotic lives" — are enrolled in classes that teach them healthy cooking and eating skills. Counselors tell the WSJ that the cooking classes, often held at local culinary schools, also "soothe stress, build self-esteem and curb negative thinking by focusing the mind on following a recipe."

Psychologists believe that cooking and baking are therapeutic because they fit a type of therapy known as "behavioral activation." These activities alleviate depression by "increasing goal oriented behavior and curbing procrastination." Thus, the person engaging in the activity feels rewarded and accomplished, especially if they share the food. While there haven't been many studies conducted noting the effects of baking and cooking, one study did find that baking classes boosted confidence and increased concentration for those involved in the study.

There is a downside to all that cooking and baking as therapy, however. If patients do not stick to making healthy recipes and use portion control, they could gain weight, especially if they have disorders like depression. Occupational therapist Catana Brown tells the paper, "It's a huge issue, not only because of obesity, but because a lot of [depression] medications that people take tend to be associated with weight gain." Plus, obesity has been found to increase the risk of depression.