Could Lego really help with depression and anxiety?

[ks6349]

Some said that within another thread, is there any detailed source or articles for reference on this issue??

[Peppermint_M]

Not got detailed sources, but I am an example of it.

I have an anxiety disorder, medically diagnosed with it too. I find that following the steps of a LEGO set and putting together the set to be extremely helpful when I face a period of anxiety and panic attacks. It can help me calm from an episode brought on by my triggers like nothing else can. There is something about the illustrated steps to follow, the feel of finding the required parts and the noise of bricks rattling together and clicking into place. 

Another thing that can help me is sorting the parts, going through a pile of mixed parts or taking apart a set to its elements is a focus that moves your thoughts from the cycle of anxiety onto something else; an action that will help immensely as an anxiety attack really is a spiralling self-perpetuating cycle that can last for days and weeks if left untreated/not faced. 

It is a Mindfulness exercise if you break it down to the most basic core principal, and there are plenty of articles from accredited sources that cite Mindfulness as a useful cognitive therapy for anxiety disorders/ depression. 

I am unsure if anyone is conducting a study into the use of LEGO specifically, but it is a tool/toy/item that ticks a lot of the boxes for effective use in cognitive therapy. 

[AFOLguy1970]

I think so.  After spending some time quietly in the "Lego Room", I always seem to feel a little bit better than I did before going in there.  This would certainly be a great topic for someone to research.  It would make a good dissertation.  

[Lira_Bricks]

I forget the time completely when playing with lego. When I am feeling down that means I get to skip a few hours of sadness :)

[MAB]

Colouring, creative art, planting flowers, etc supposedly does so I don't see why not. It doesn't need a study. If it works for you, it works.

[The Stud]

I struggle with both, and Lego definitely helps. Building Lego sets or sorting my bricks or changing my set displays around all help me take my mind off all of my stress and insecurities for a few hours. It may not be the most, um, cheap way of dealing with it, but it helps! With how dull and gloomy the world tends to be, putting together some colorful plastic bricks does wonders for me.

Edited February 7, 2021 by The Stud

[AmperZand]

13 hours ago, ks6349 said:

Some said that within another thread, is there any detailed source or articles for reference on this issue??

Although the N was very small, the following study suggests that LEGO therapy is as effective as art therapy in reducing stress among university students: 

Building Blocks and Coloring Away Stress: Utilizing Lego and Coloring as Stress Reduction Strategies among University Students.

Margaret Shields, William Hunnell, Melanie Tucker, Annie Price

Journal of Health Education Teaching 11 (1), 24-31, 2020

[Johnny1360]

I picked up LEGO several years ago and it fit perfectly for my doctor recommended therapy for another mental disorder, not depression and it has helped me tremendously.

[LegendaryArticuno]

Lego can also become a gateway to depression, hoarding, OCD, and set you back on your financial goals.

Just make sure you exert full control over your hobby and not the other way around.

[Killian]

2 hours ago, LegendaryArticuno said:

Lego can also become a gateway to depression, hoarding, OCD, and set you back on your financial goals.

Just make sure you exert full control over your hobby and not the other way around.

Why have you been watching me army building?...  

 

But seriously, Lego is my mindfulness exercise.

[VinnieCannoli]

Lego is incredibly good at helping to deal with such problems.
This is a whole set of different stages.
1) assembling a set while watching one of your favorite films (series). 
2) thoughts on how to improve the set, fix it, make it more interesting (and while you searching for pieces or planning stuff, your mind completely in the "zone" because you can't think about anything else - pretty similar to going through a very good video game) 
3) euphoria from owning an interesting set/MOC that will be a pleasure to play with and do more stuff with later on. 

 

[SpacePolice89]

When I build Lego sets and MOCs I feel happy and relaxed.

[Paul B Technic]

I did this interview a few years ago.
https://manspacemagazine.com.au/brick-by-brick/

[Brick McBrickface]

At 50, I bought my first Lego set since childhood in October last year (non UCS Falcon) and I’m still not sure exactly why. I was going through a rough time and have to say building Lego helped a lot with getting through it. 

Its almost like a deep breathing exercise that helps focus on something other than your stress, problems and burdens. 
 

[JesseNight]

I think any creative hobbies that keep us busy and challenged can help against depression and anxieties.
It helped me too when I was in a lesser period of my life, even though at the time physical LEGO was not an option and getting creative in Stud.io had to do. But being new that at the time (not even knowing it existed before then), that sure was a lot of fun.

[Ryno917]

All creative pursuits can have mental health benefits. Art, music, design, dance... LEGO is no exception. Creative expression is just one of the reasons it can be helpful, too.

For some, following the instructions methodically is meditative and relaxing. For some it's the physical, tactile, sensation of working with the bricks. For some it's the feeling of accomplishment finishing a build, or figuring out a complex construction on a MOC. For some it's a mental escape, like a book or a movie.

There's a myriad of ways that it can have benefits for a variety of different mental states, conditions, or disorders. Like anything else, though, there's also ways it can be a hindrance to mental health if you let it. Hoarding, over-extending finances, obsession/addiction, toxic competition, etc.

[Lego Mike]

I think Lego does or at least can provide the escape that stressed-out people need, at least temporarily. The appeal of Lego in that regard is that it provides a largely physical experience -- the clicking, the sorting, &c. -- in addition to a sense of structure vis-a-vis the instructions. I've seen many articles about "Lego therapy" for those very reasons.

But beyond all the psycho-babble and what-not, if it does help the average person decompress, then I say yeah, Lego is therapeutic. If a person finds they need more substantive help, though, they should seek it out, by all means. I found Lego very, very diverting six or seven years ago when I was under tremendous stress with grad school and more kinds of work and freelance tasks than I could shoulder, for the very reasons I stated above. ^^