When your mood is low, start with the best-value things: get moving, get sunlight, sleep on time, talk to someone, and call 12356 (China's national mental-health hotline)

High value
Evidence A
Saves time
Free
Takes some hours
Some willpower

In plain words

For depression, brisk walking and jogging work best, and the harder the exercise the more effective it is; for details see §22.6 (if you feel bad, go for a walk or a run). Light exposure is very effective for seasonal depression, and also works for depression that is not seasonal. Online self-help cognitive behavioral courses work, and when symptoms are more severe it is better to do them with someone guiding you. If you can't cope, call 12356 (China's national mental-health hotline) first.

Cost: Free or very cheap. A few brisk walks, jogs or strength sessions a week. Get out in the sun during the day. Keep a fixed schedule. Make one phone call when you can't cope.
What you get: Pooling 218 randomized controlled trials with 14170 people (a network meta-analysis). The control groups were people also doing other activities. Compared with them, walking or jogging had an effect size on depression of g = -0.62 (95% confidence interval -0.80 to -0.45). Yoga was -0.55 and strength training -0.49. The greater the intensity, the better the effect. Pooling several studies of light therapy: for seasonal depression the effect size was 0.84 (0.60 to 1.08), and for non-seasonal depression 0.53 (0.18 to 0.89). Another analysis pooled individual patient data from each study. It looked at internet cognitive behavioral therapy (online self-help courses). Both guided and unguided versions did better than the control group. For moderate to severe depression (PHQ-9 above 9), the guided version did better. 12356 is China's national psychological assistance hotline, open at least 18 hours a day.
Notes: These are supporting measures for mild to moderate depression. If it is moderate to severe, or you have thoughts of suicide, go to a doctor, and call 12356 first (see §1.25). Most of the exercise trials were small, and unlike a drug trial, you cannot hide from people whether they are exercising. The light studies only go up to 2003 and were also small. “Sleep on time” and “talk to someone” are the author's experience and are not backed by separately listed studies. Don't treat “get moving” as a demand on someone with depression; being able to walk for ten minutes counts.
Evidence grade: A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
Sources: Noetel M 等 (2024). Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-075847
Golden RN 等 (2005). The efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders: a review and meta-analysis of the evidence. American Journal of Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.4.656
Karyotaki E 等 (2021). Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression: A Systematic Review and Individual Patient Data Network Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.4364
国家卫生健康委 (2024). 关于应用"12356"全国统一心理援助热线电话号码的通知（国卫医政函〔2024〕259 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202412/content_6994470.htm

Mentioned in

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 3, tip 18. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer