Being situated in one of the busiest business centres in Africa, Sandton can bring a lot of factors influencing one’s mental state in a positive or negative way. Discovery Vitality located in the heart of Sandton, brought in experts from various parts of the country to discuss an important, but difficult, topic to address for some.
With the whole world celebrating World Mental Health Day on October 10, Discovery Vitality dug deep into the importance of the awareness campaign by hosting a panel discussion with experts in the field of psychology.
Speakers on the panel, which took place on October 14, were the head of wellness for Discovery Vitality, Dr Mosima Mabunda, clinical psychologist Dr Colinda Linde, chair of the department of psychiatry at the University of Cape Town, Professor Dan Stein, and former Miss South Africa, Shudufhadzo Musida as the master of ceremonies.
Guests of the event were treated to refreshments and a yoga session that lasted 30 minutes. After the session was complete, Musida introduced the head of Discovery Vitality wellness to the guests who touched on the topic.
“For decades, research on depression has largely focused on treating depression in high-income countries. Our study is among the first outside of that context to track a large number of people over time to see how we might prevent depression,” said Mabunda.
According to Stein, the population size of the research was close to a total of 50 000 participants over the course of three years. Findings were shown that one in five cases of depression in women can be prevented through daily physical activities, a healthy diet, and getting enough rest.
“When we exercise regularly, fascinating things happen in our brains that can help us better deal with stress, for instance, lowering levels of stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol,” said Mabunda.
Musida who has been an advocate for mental health addressed that 30 minutes of exercising every day can make a huge difference to one’s mood.
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