In a 2005 study entitled, “Running has Differential Effects on NPY, Opiates, and Cell Proliferation in an Animal Model of Depression and Controls”, published in the journal, Neuropsychopharmacology (2006), evidence was gleaned reinforcing the hypothesis that running helps in the treatment of depression. 

The researchers found that running increased cell growth in an area of the brain called the hippocampus.  As a result, there was an increase in the production of a neurotransmitter, Neuropeptide Y, which is involved in the reduction of anxiety and depression.

There is an increasing body of research reinforcing our basic premise that running is an effective treatment for depression and other mental health issues.