Strategic Mitigation of Depression through Critical and Positive Thinking for Mental Health

Abstract

Negative thinking breeds as well as paves way for depression, a perplexed state of mind leading to disorders, chronic health issues, sudden death and suicide among individuals. The aim of this study is to show that positive thinking (PT) is a strategy for mitigating depression. The study is anchored on Asouzu’s Theory of Noetic Propaedeutic (TNP), which explains how mind concealment negates realities and magnifies situations to transcend into depression, as a result of negative thoughts. Data were sourced from 150 of 75 each male and female oral respondents, who were between 18 and 60 years old. Both qualitative and quantitative methods with their associated tools are used to analyse the data. Despite the likely context variations in the effectiveness of positive thinking, the results show PT being proven by 128 (85.4%) to be a viable means of mitigating depression, while 22 (14.6%) considered it an insignificant means of mitigating depression. The study concludes that critical thinking, the base of positive thinking, produces positive and creative thoughts for the individual to mitigate depression. It charges the individual to think positively about even the worst situations of life so as to be able to proffer tangible solutions to them and avoid depression.