Exercise and Depression

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Exercise and Depression

• The Relationship Between Exercise and Depression
• Barbara Adams, Shmeka Gibson,
• Victoria Kronenwetter
• Christian Brothers University

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Definitions

• Exercise
• Regular Exercise

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Previous Research on Exercise

• American Heart Association. (n.d.). Healthy
  Lifestyle Exercise and Fitness. Retrieved August
  28, 2006, from http//www.americanheart.org/presen
  ter.

• Pollock, K. M. (2001). Exercise in treating
  depression Broadening the psychotherapists
  role. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57 (11),
  1289-1300.

• Thayer, R. E., Newman, J. R., McClain, T. M.
  (1994). Self-regulation of mood Strategies for
  changing a bad mood, raising energy, and reducing
  tension. Journal of Personality and Social
  Psychology, 67 (5), 910-925.

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Previous Research on Exercise

• Doyne, E. J., Ossip-Klein, D. J., Bowman, E. D.,
  Osborn, K. M., McDougall-Wilson, I. B.,
  Neimeyer, R. A. (1987). Running versus weight
  lifting in the treatment of depression. Journal
  of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55,
  748-754.
• Dunn, A. L., Trivedi, M. H., Kampert, J. B.,
  Clark, C. G., Chambliss, H. O. (2005).Exercise
  treatment for depression Efficacy and dose
  response. American Journal of Preventive
  Medicine, 28, 1-8.
• Haboush, A., Floyd, M., Caron, J., Lasota, M.,
  Alvarez, K. (in press). Ballroom dance lessons
  for geriatric depression An exploratory study.
  Journal of the Arts of Psychotherapy.

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Hypotheses

• There will be an inverse relationship between
  exercise and depression
  

• Those who exercise will have a lower BDI score
  than those who do not

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Method

• Participants
• 84 undergraduate college students
• Males 33
• Females 51
• Mean age 20.9
• Education Level
• Freshman 36
• Sophomore 21
• Junior 15
• Senior - 12

• Christian Brothers University
• Small, private, Catholic university
• Memphis, TN

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Method

• Instruments

• General Demographic Survey

• Exercise Questionnaire

• The Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, 1996)

• Reasons for Exercise Inventory (Silberstein,
  Streigel-Moore, Timko Rodin, 1988

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Pearson r Results

• Hypothesis
• Pearson r (78)
• r -.148 p .095
• As an individual exercises more, their BDI
  scores will decrease

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t-Test Results

• t(78) 1.773 p .04
• Participants that exercise have a lower BDI
  score than those that do not exercise

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Pearson r Analysis

• Post-hoc Analysis
• To cope with stress, anxiety
• r .214 p .028
• t -.406
• m Non-depressed 4.7
• m Depressed 5.0
• To cope with sadness, depression
• r .383 p .000
• t -.560
• m Non-depressed 3.2
• m Depressed 3.7

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Discussion

• Coping as a mechanism
• Support of previous studies

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Survey Limitations

• Exercise Questionnaire
• Instructions were not clear
• Health issues not addressed
• Reasons for Exercise Inventory
• Limited only to people who exercise
• Unintentional sexually biased questions

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Application / Future Research

• Application
• Research findings used to receive grant money for
  enhanced exercise facility
  
• Formation of programs designed to identify and
  offer treatment for individuals with high BDI
  scores
  

• Future Research
• Do different types of exercise have different
  benefits?
  
• Body image and self-esteem

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Questions?