Can They Really Reduce Anxiety and Depression?

Early research suggests this age-old practice might benefit mental health, but more research is needed.

Can cold water really improve your mental health?

No studies have shown that the Wim Hof method or cold water immersion alone boosts mental health, but some research suggests that cold-water swimming can improve mood and well-being. Several teams of researchers, especially in Europe, have explored the psychological effects of cold-water swimming and seen encouraging results. A 2020 study conducted in Britain found that 61 people who took a 10-week course to learn to swim in cold seawater experienced greater improvements in mood and well-being than 22 of their friends and family members who watched them from shore.

Some scientists also suspect that a dip in frigid water might help treat mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. A 2018 case study, also in Britain, describes a 24-year-old woman with depression and anxiety who undertook cold-water swimming and, after four months, no longer required medication. Since then, researchers have followed up with a larger trial, but the results have yet to be published.

These early findings are promising, but getting strong evidence is challenging, said Jeremy Howick, a senior researcher at the Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University who studies evidence-based medicine. Researchers can’t hide the fact that someone is getting cold water treatment, he said, and their positive expectations may lead them to experience a placebo effect. Mr. Hof has suggested as much in his book “The Wim Hof Method,” writing that “to get the most out of the method, you have to mentally invest in it.”