This is one of our favorite topics because, traditionally, this has been one of the most short-changed and poorly understood aspects of personal health. And there’s still a ton about the brain and about human behavior that we don’t know. The good news is that we’re starting to catch up in terms of giving mental and behavioral health its due credit. We’re not waiting for a complete psychological understanding of the human condition to recognize where these factors can make a substantive difference.

 

A great example of this is our increased understanding of how physical exercise influences the health of our brain. One of the underrated factors was how physical exercise pushes blood through our body as well as our brain. This increased blood flow flushes the brain of toxins and normal byproducts, which helps maintain and enhance cognitive function.

 

Crucially, we see this play out in any number of mental health populations. Formerly active dementia patients, for example, frequently experienced a dramatic decline when placed in institutions in which the opportunities for physical activity were limited. Today, there’s a much stronger emphasis placed on these types of opportunities for memory care programs.

 

We’re going to be looking to build out even more resources and methods to help contextualize how behavioral therapies can have a big impact on our health outcomes. Have an idea or a question about a topic for integrated mental health? Let us know. We’d love to know what you’re thinking.

 

Further Reading from Modern Health Care