From floating saunas to clinical trials: How heat might help mental health

Eva Hilland, a cognitive neuroscientist at Oslo Metropolitan University, is running a randomized controlled trial with 50 participants, funded by a local municipality, to investigate whether sauna exposure can benefit mental health and reduce depression—the first rigorous scientific exploration of a practice with deep historical roots across human societies.

The trial is early-stage; existing evidence is limited and heat's mental health benefits are not yet understood.