The effect of exercise on normal mood

The relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms among Chinese middle-aged and older adults: A cross-lagged panel analysis

Objectives

This study examined the mutual effects of social participation and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults from offline and online perspectives. Reciprocal relationships between depressive symptoms and the four subtypes of offline participation were also examined.

Methods

Based on China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study data (CHARLS), this study conducted ID matching for three waves of data from 2013, 2015, and 2018. One thousand nine hundred ninety-nine samples for individuals over 50 were obtained. A series of cross-lagged analyses were conducted to examine the mutual influence of social participation and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the short version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). The social participation questionnaire included nine items referring to offline participation (eight items) and online participation (one item). Several demographic variables were adjusted when conducting the cross-lagged analyses.

Results

Social and offline participation had significant two-way associations with depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms had greater impacts on social and offline participation than in the opposite direction. Online participation has a significant one-way impact on depressive symptoms. The relationship between specific types of offline participation and depressive symptoms varied in existence and direction.

Discussion

Overall, there was significant bidirectional causality between social participation and depressive symptoms. Social participation, both offline and online, played a positive role in alleviating depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms also affected the level of social participation to some extent among middle-aged and older Chinese adults over time.

Impact of exercise on older adults' mood is moderated by sleep and mediated by altered brain connectivity

Older adults comprise the fastest growing global demographic and are at increased risk of poor mental health outcomes. Although aerobic exercise and sleep are critical to the preservation of emotional well-being, few studies have examined their combined mood-enhancing effects, or the potential neural mechanisms underlying these effects. Here, we used a randomized crossover design to test the impact of acute exercise on mood and the intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of the cingulo-opercular network in physically healthy older adults. Wrist actigraphy provided objective indices of sleep. Results revealed that 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise acutely enhanced positive affect (PA) and reduced iFC between the cingulo-opercular network and the hippocampus. Both effects were magnified among older adults with greater sleep disturbance. Exercise-induced changes in hippocampal iFC mediated relations between sleep disturbance and exercise-induced increases in PA. These findings provide evidence that aerobic exercise enhances mood, that it does so by altering connectivity between the anterior insula-a key hub in the cingulo-opercular network-and the hippocampus and that lower sleep quality is a stronger predictor of these effects among older adults. These observations underscore the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise-a safe and scalable behavioral intervention-and provide new clues about the neural circuitry underlying the interactive effects of sleep and exercise on mood.

Sex Differences in Relations of Cardiorespiratory and Mood Changes Associated with Self-Selected Amounts of Cardiovascular Exercise

44 formerly sedentary men ( n = 22) and women ( n = 22) self-selected cardiovascular exercise intensities, durations, and frequencies for 12 wk. A mean of approximately 2 exercise sessions/week, for 28 to 29 min./session were completed, and small ( ds = .30 to .35) but significant ( p < .05) cardiorespiratory (VO2 max) improvements were found. Reductions in Depression and Tension scores on the Profile of Mood States were also significant ( ps < .05) over the 12 wk. No sex differences were found for change on any of the variables of interest. Analysis showed no significant correlations between change on either Depression and Tension scores, and change in VO2 max, over the 12 wk. Limitations and the need for replication with a control group were discussed. The possible advantages of allowing new and returning exercisers to self-select initial physical activity amounts were discussed.

Changes in Depressed Mood Associated with 10 Weeks of Moderate Cardiovascular Exercise in Formerly Sedentary Adults

Two groups of adults classified with depressed mood (10% highest scores on the Profile of Mood States-Short Form Depression scale) were contrasted on changes in POMS Depression scores over 10 weeks. The exercise group ( n = 26) was given a moderate cardiovascular exercise program of 3x/week for 20 to 30 min. per session. The control group ( n = 24) did not participate in exercise. Significant reductions in POMS Depression scores over 10 weeks were noted for the exercise group in between-group ( d = –.88) and within-group ( d = −1.32) analyses. Significantly more participants in the exercise group scored in the normal range at Week 10 (62%) than in the control group (29%). Neither changes in cardiorespiratory function (VO2 max) nor initial POMS Depression scores were significantly correlated with changes in POMS Depression scores after 10 weeks. Methodological improvements, limitations, and practical application of findings after replication were discussed.

Differential effects of acute and regular physical exercise on cognition and affect

The effects of regular exercise versus a single bout of exercise on cognition, anxiety, and mood were systematically examined in healthy, sedentary young adults who were genotyped to determine brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) allelic status (i.e., Val-Val or Val66Met polymorphism). Participants were evaluated on novel object recognition (NOR) memory and a battery of mental health surveys before and after engaging in either (a) a 4-week exercise program, with exercise on the final test day, (b) a 4-week exercise program, without exercise on the final test day, (c) a single bout of exercise on the final test day, or (d) remaining sedentary between test days. Exercise enhanced object recognition memory and produced a beneficial decrease in perceived stress, but only in participants who exercised for 4 weeks including the final day of testing. In contrast, a single bout of exercise did not affect recognition memory and resulted in increased perceived stress levels. An additional novel finding was that the improvements on the NOR task were observed exclusively in participants who were homozygous for the BDNF Val allele, indicating that altered activity-dependent release of BDNF in Met allele carriers may attenuate the cognitive benefits of exercise. Importantly, exercise-induced changes in cognition were not correlated with changes in mood/anxiety, suggesting that separate neural systems mediate these effects. These data in humans mirror recent data from our group in rodents. Taken together, these current findings provide new insights into the behavioral and neural mechanisms that mediate the effects of physical exercise on memory and mental health in humans.

Don't worry, be active: positive affect and habitual physical activity

OBJECTIVE

The aim of ths study was to examine the association between habitual physical activity and positive and negative affect.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study included 276 women aged 20 +, from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Habitual physical activity and other lifestyle exposures were assessed by questionnaire, concurrent with anthropometric assessments. Physical activity was categorized as very active, moderately active or sedentary. Positive and negative affect scores were derived from the validated 20 item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) self-report and were categorized into tertiles.

RESULTS

There was a pattern of lower positive affect scores for lower levels of physical activity. With very active as the reference category, the odds for having a positive affect score in the highest tertile were sequentially lower for those who were moderately active (OR = 0.53, 95%CI 0.28-1.01) and sedentary (OR = 0.28, 95%CI 0.10-0.75). Associations were sustained after adjusting for body mass index and polypharmacy (OR = 0.50, 95%CI 0.26-0.96 and OR = 0.25, 95%CI 0.09-0.72, respectively). These associations were not explained by age, negative affect score or other exposures. No association was detected between physical activity and negative affect scores.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reports that higher positive affect scores, encompassing emotions such as interest, excitement, enthusiasm and alertness, are associated with higher levels of habitual physical activity. These observations warrant further investigations into possible mechanistic interplay between neurobiological and psychosocial factors that underpin this association.

Habitual physical activity and the risk for depressive and anxiety disorders among older men and women

BACKGROUND

Regular physical activity is generally associated with psychological well-being, although there are relatively few prospective studies in older adults. We investigated habitual physical activity as a risk factor for de novo depressive and anxiety disorders in older men and women from the general population.

METHODS

In this nested case-control study, subjects aged 60 years or more were identified from randomly selected cohorts being followed prospectively in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Cases were individuals with incident depressive or anxiety disorders, diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID-I/NP); controls had no history of these disorders. Habitual physical activity, measured using a validated questionnaire, and other exposures were documented at baseline, approximately four years prior to psychiatric interviews. Those with depressive or anxiety disorders that pre-dated baseline were excluded.

RESULTS

Of 547 eligible subjects, 14 developed de novo depressive or anxiety disorders and were classified as cases; 533 controls remained free of disease. Physical activity was protective against the likelihood of depressive and anxiety disorders; OR = 0.55 (95% CI 0.32-0.94), p = 0.03; each standard deviation increase in the transformed physical activity score was associated with an approximate halving in the likelihood of developing depressive or anxiety disorders. Leisure-time physical activity contributed substantially to the overall physical activity score. Age, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, weight and socioeconomic status did not substantially confound the association.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence consistent with the notion that higher levels of habitual physical activity are protective against the subsequent risk of development of de novo depressive and anxiety disorders.

Does the association between depressive symptomatology and physical activity depend on body image perception? A survey of students from seven universities in the UK

This cross-sectional study assessed the association between depression and PA in university students of both genders and the role of body image perception as a potential effect modifier. Undergraduate students (N = 3706) from seven universities in the UK completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed sociodemographic information; a range of health, health behaviour and health awareness related factors; the modified version of Beck’s Depression Inventory (M-BDI); educational achievement, and different levels of physical activity (PA), such as moderate PA (at least 5 days per week moderate exercise of at least 30 minutes), and vigorous PA (at least 3 days per week vigorous exercise of at least 20 minutes). Only 12.4% of the sample achieved the international recommended level for moderate PA, and 33.1% achieved the recommendations for vigorous PA. Both moderate and vigorous PA were inversely related to the M-BDI score. Physically active students, regardless of the type of PA, were significantly more likely to perceive their health as good, to have higher health awareness, to perform strengthening exercises, and to be males. The stratified analyses indicated that the association between depression and PA differed by body image. In students perceiving their body image as ‘just right’, moderate (>4th percentile) and high (>5th percentile) M-BDI scores were inversely related to vigorous PA. However, in students who perceived their body image as ‘overweight’, the inverse association was only significant in those with high M-BDI scores. We conclude that the positive effect of PA on depression could be down modulated by the negative impact of a ‘distorted’ body image on depression. The practical implications of these findings are that PA programmes targeting persons with depressive symptoms should include effective components to enhance body image perception.

The relationship between depressive symptoms and walking among Hispanic older adults: a longitudinal, cross-lagged panel analysis

OBJECTIVES

This study examines the relationship between depressive symptoms and walking behavior across 30 months in a prospective study of 217 community-dwelling, Hispanic older adults in Miami, Florida (ages 70-100 years).

METHOD

Analyses examine the direction of the relationship between depressive symptoms and physical activity (i.e., walking) over time, as well as test for a potential bi-directional or reciprocal relationship between these two variables.

RESULTS

Structural equation modeling (SEM) with a cross-lagged panel design revealed that walking was unrelated to subsequent depressive symptoms. However, depressive symptoms were related to subsequent walking behavior at every time-point, such that higher levels of depressive symptoms were predictive of less walking in the future. Older adults who had clinically-relevant depressive symptoms at the initial assessment had 1.34 times the risk of not walking 30 months later, compared to older adults without clinically-relevant depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Results support the need for primary care providers to evaluate and address depressive symptoms among older adults, as a means of reducing sedentary behavior and potentially improving health. Further research on the prevention and management of depressive symptoms and sedentary behavior is needed, given the morbidity related to both of these health risks, particularly for minority and low-socio-economic status (SES) older adults.

Prospective study of cardiorespiratory fitness and depressive symptoms in women and men

Most studies of the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and depression have been limited to cross-sectional designs. The objective of this study was to follow individuals over time to examine whether those with higher levels of CRF have lower risk of developing depressive symptoms. Participants were 11,258 men and 3085 women enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study in Dallas, TX. All participants completed a maximal treadmill exercise test at baseline (1970-1995) and a follow-up health survey in 1990 and/or 1995. Individuals with a history of a mental disorder, cardiovascular disease, or cancer were excluded. CRF was quantified by exercise test duration, and categorized into age and sex-stratified groups as low (lowest 20%), moderate (middle 40%), or high (upper 40%). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Those who scored 16 or more on the CES-D were considered to have depressive symptoms. After an average of 12 years of follow-up, 282 women and 740 men reported depressive symptoms. After adjusting for age, baseline examination year, and survey response year, the odds of reporting depressive symptoms were 31% lower for men with moderate CRF (odds ratio, OR 0.69; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.56-0.85) and 51% lower for men with high CRF (OR 0.49, CI 0.39-0.60), compared to men with low CRF. Corresponding ORs for women were 0.56 (CI 0.40-0.80) and 0.46 (CI 0.32-0.65). Higher CRF is associated with lower risk of incident depressive symptoms independent of other clinical risk predictors.

Leisure time physical activity in relation to depressive symptoms in the Black Women's Health Study

BACKGROUND

A growing body of evidence suggests that physical activity might reduce the risk of depressive symptoms, but there are limited data on Black women.

PURPOSE

The objective was to evaluate the association between leisure time physical activity and depressive symptoms in U.S. Black women.

METHODS

Participants included 35,224 women ages 21 to 69 from the Black Women's Health Study, a follow-up study of African American women in which data are collected biennially by mail questionnaire. Women answered questions on past and current exercise levels at baseline (1995) and follow-up (1997). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to measure depressive symptoms in 1999. Women who reported a diagnosis of depression before 1999 were excluded. We used multivariate logistic regression models to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for physical activity in relation to depressive symptoms (CES-D score > or = 16) with control for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Adult vigorous physical activity was inversely associated with depressive symptoms. Women who reported vigorous exercise both in high school (> or = 5 hr per week) and adulthood (> or = 2 hr per week) had the lowest odds of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.71-0.82) relative to never active women; the OR was 0.90 for women who were active in high school but not adulthood (95% CI = 0.85-0.96) and 0.83 for women who were inactive in high school but became active in adulthood (95% CI = 0.77-0.91). Although walking for exercise was not associated with risk of depressive symptoms overall, there was evidence of a weak inverse relation among obese women (Body Mass Index > or = 30).

CONCLUSIONS

Leisure time vigorous physical activity was associated with a reduced odds of depressive symptoms in U.S. Black women.

Social engagement and depressive symptoms in late life: longitudinal findings

OBJECTIVE

The purpose is to investigate whether social engagement protects against depressive symptoms in older adults.

METHOD

Three waves of data from a representative cohort study of community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and above from the New Haven Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly are examined using random effects models.

RESULTS

Social engagement (an index combining social and productive activity) is associated with lower CES-D scores after adjustment for age, sex, time, education, marital status, health and functional status, and fitness activities. This association is generally constant with time, suggesting a cross-sectional association. In addition, social engagement is associated with change in depressive symptoms, but only among those with CES-D scores below 16 at baseline.

DISCUSSION

Social engagement is independently associated with depressive symptoms cross-sectionally. A longitudinal association is seen only among those not depressed at baseline.

The importance of continued exercise participation in quality of life and psychological well-being in previously inactive postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

Exercise and physical activity provide a wide range of health benefits for postmenopausal women, although the impact of maintained exercise participation on psychological well-being is unclear. An exploration of continued exercise participation in psychological well-being after a moderate-intensity exercise program in previously inactive postmenopausal women was therefore undertaken.

DESIGN

: Twenty-three healthy sedentary postmenopausal women (age 56 +/- 4 years) were randomly assigned to two groups. All participants completed the Short Form-36, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Health Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ) and then began a 6-week walking program at 50% heart rate reserve defined by (.-)V(O(2)) treadmill testing. Post-intervention, all participants underwent (.-)V(O(2)) treadmill testing and questionnaires. Group 1 was then instructed to continue exercising, whereas group 2 was instructed to desist for an additional 6-week period. On completion of the 6-week follow-up, participants completed a final set of questionnaires.

RESULTS

Participants performed 97% of the prescribed 15-hour (900 minute) exercise program (875.1 +/- 177.4 minutes) in an average of 26 +/- 5 sessions. Total HAQ (P = 0.001), health worry (P = 0.001), fear of illness (P = 0.037), reassurance seeking behavior (P = 0.037), SF-36 well-being (P = 0.037), total HADS (P = 0.019), and HADS depression (P = 0.015) improved significantly following the exercise program. At follow-up, group 1 had lower HADS anxiety (P = 0.013), total HADS (P = 0.02), total HAQ (P = 0.03), and HAQ interference with life (P = 0.03) and significantly higher SF-36 energy (P = 0.01) than group 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthy postmenopausal women gain significant psychological benefit from moderate-intensity exercise. However, exercise participation must continue to maintain improvements in psychological well-being and quality of life.

Physical activity, exercise coping, and depression in a 10-year cohort study of depressed patients

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological research examining the relationship between physical activity and depression has been conducted almost exclusively with community samples. We examined associations between physical activity, exercise coping, and depression in a sample of initially depressed patients, using four waves of data spanning 10 years.

METHODS

A cohort (n=424) of depressed adults completed measures of physical activity, exercise coping, depression, and other demographic and psychosocial constructs at baseline, 1-year, 4-years, and 10-years, with a 90% wave-to-wave retention rate. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze individual depression trajectories.

RESULTS

More physical activity was associated with less concurrent depression, even after controlling for gender, age, medical problems, and negative life events. Physical activity counteracted the effects of medical conditions and negative life events on depression. However, physical activity was not associated with subsequent depression. The findings for exercise coping were comparable.

LIMITATIONS

Measures of physical activity and exercise coping encompassed a limited set of activities and did not include information about duration or intensity.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that more physical activity is associated with reduced concurrent depression. In addition, it appears that physical activity may be especially helpful in the context of medical problems and major life stressors. Clinically, encouraging depressed patients to engage in physical activity is likely to have potential benefits with few obvious risks.

Mood alterations following an indoor and outdoor exercise program in healthy elderly women

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 12-wk. recreational exercise program on mood state of 55 sedentary elderly women, ages 60 to 75 years, as well to examine the minimal amount of weekly exercise needed to produce these changes. The variables comprising mood state were Positive Engagement, Revitalization, Tranquility, and Physical Exhaustion. Subjects were allocated to three exercise groups (n = 15 each) and one control group (n = 10). Exercise was performed for 45 min. three times, twice, or once a week by one group each. Subjects were pre- and posttested on the selected variables. Those who participated three times a week had significantly more positive mood profiles than nonexercisers and those who exercised once a week, but profiles for those who exercised three or two times a week were similar. It is concluded that the group's improvement in both positive and negative affect corresponded to the frequency of exercise in their program. However, participation at least two times a week is necessary for significant mood alterations. Findings are discussed in terms of improvements in design and measurement and the need to focus research on multiple components of fitness in relation to mood state in an elderly sample.

Epidemiology of leisure-time physical activity in socio-demographic, lifestyle and psychological characteristics of men and women in Greece: the ATTICA Study

Background

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence, frequency and type of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among adults in Greece, as well as its relationship with socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical characteristics of these people.

Methods

From May 2001 to December 2002 we randomly enrolled 1514 men and 1528 women, without any evidence of cardiovascular or any other chronic disease. The sampling was stratified by the age – gender distribution of (census 2001) of the greater area of Athens. Weekly energy expenditure assessed by considering frequency, duration (in minutes) and intensity of sports related physical activity during a usual week.

Results

53% of men and 48% of women were classified as physically active. Men were more likely to be active as compared to women (p < 0.05), while the lowest activity rates were observed in 40 to 49 years old participants (p < 0.01). Physically active people had higher occupation skills, were more likely to live in rural areas, to be unmarried, non smokers and they were devoted to a healthier dietary pattern, as compared to sedentary, irrespective of age and sex (all p < 0.05). In addition, the cumulative risk factors score of obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes, was inversely associated with activity status (p < 0.001). Finally, physically active men and women were less likely to report depressive symptoms (p < 0.01), after various adjustments were made.

Conclusion

Half of the studied population reported physically inactive, indicating that sedentary lifestyle becomes a serious epidemic in Greece. High occupation skills, non-smoking, devotion to a healthier dietary pattern and a better cardiovascular risk factors profile were some of the determinants of physically active people.

The effects of short- vs. long-bout exercise on mood, VO2max, and percent body fat

BACKGROUND

To compare the ACSM-CDC physical activity accumulation recommendation to the traditional recommendation, for impact on mood and physiological markers of fitness.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trial with sedentary male (n = 21) and female (n = 19) subjects assigned to walk either long bouts (LB; 30 min/day), short bouts (SB; 3 x 10 min/day), or a nonexercise control (CTL) group for 8 weeks. Pre- and post-measures were collected for V02max and percent body fat. Pre-, mid-, and post-measures were collected for the Profile of Mood States (POMS).

RESULTS

VO2max increased in the SB group (+7.2%) and LB (+6.7%; P < or = 0.05). Percent body fat decreased in the LB group (-6.7%; P < or = 0.05). Total mood disturbance (TMD) decreased in the LB and SB groups (P < or = 0.05); only the LB group showed reductions compared to the CTL group (P < or = 0.05). Tension-anxiety and vigor-activity were altered in the LB group compared to the other two groups (P < or = 0.05). Reductions in percent body fat correlated with TMD (r = 0.38; P < or = 0.05) and Tension-anxiety reduction (r = 0.40; P < or = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

LB and SB walking produced similar and significant improvements in VO2max LB walking was more effective at reducing percent body fat, tension-anxiety and total mood disturbance, and increasing vigor compared to the control group.

The association between physical exercises and health-related quality of life in subjects with mental disorders: results from a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

The present study examines the relationship between health-related quality of life and physical activity among adults with affective, anxiety, and substance dependence disorders.

METHODS

Analyses were conducted among participants in the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey (GHS), a nationally representative multistage probability survey, conducted from 1997 to 1999. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between health-related quality of life and physical activity among subjects with mental disorders.

RESULTS

Affective, anxiety, and substance dependence disorders were associated with substantial impairment in health-related quality of life. Higher levels of physical activity were associated with higher health-related quality of life among persons with mental disorders. Even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, physically inactive subjects reported poorer quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical activity can be considered as beneficial for people suffering from mental disorders. The promotion of a physically active lifestyle is an important public health objective.

Mood Alterations in Mindful Versus Aerobic Exercise Modes

The results of most recent studies have generally indicated an improvement in mood after participation in aerobic exercise. However, only a few researchers have compared mindful modes of exercise with aerobic exercise to examine the effect of 1 single session of exercise on mood. In the present study, the authors assessed state anxiety, depressive mood, and subjective well-being prior to and following 1 class of 1 of 4 exercise modes: yoga, Feldenkrais (awareness through movement), aerobic dance, and swimming; a computer class served as a control. Participants were 147 female general curriculum and physical education teachers (mean age = 40.15, SD = 0.2) voluntarily enrolled in a 1-year enrichment program at a physical education college. Analyses of variance for repeated measures revealed mood improvement following Feldenkrais, swimming, and yoga but not following aerobic dance and computer lessons. Mindful low-exertion activities as well as aerobic activities enhanced mood in 1 single session of exercise. The authors suggest that more studies assessing the mood-enhancing benefits of mindful activities such as Feldenkrais and yoga are needed.

5-HT1A responsivity in patients with panic disorder before and after treatment with aerobic exercise, clomipramine or placebo

Blunted neuroendocrine and physiological responses to the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, ipsapirone, have been observed in patients with panic disorder and/or agoraphobia (PDA). In order to examine whether this hyporesponsiveness to ipsapirone is modified by pharmacological or non-pharmacological therapeutic interventions, challenges with an oral dose of ipsapirone (0.3 mg/kg) and placebo were performed in patients with PDA before and after 10 weeks of treatment with clomipramine, aerobic exercise and placebo. Before treatment, administration of ipsapirone was followed by significant increases of cortisol, anxiety and other psychopathological symptoms in comparison to the placebo challenge. In addition, a significant decrease of body temperature was observed. After the 10-week treatment period, the psychological responses to ipsapirone were significantly reduced in the clomipramine and the exercise group. In contrast, there was a non-significant trend towards higher cortisol responses after clomipramine and exercise treatment. The hypothermic response to ipsapirone was significantly reduced by clomipramine treatment. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that effective treatment of panic disorder has divergent effects on the psychological, neuroendocrine and temperature responses to ipsapirone.

Exercise and the treatment of clinical depression in adults: recent findings and future directions

This article critically reviews the evidence that exercise is effective in treating depression in adults. Depression is recognised as a mood state, clinical syndrome and psychiatric condition, and traditional methods for assessing depression (e.g. standard interviews, questionnaires) are described. In order to place exercise therapy into context, more established methods for treating clinical depression are discussed. Observational (e.g. cross-sectional and correlational) and interventional studies of exercise are reviewed in healthy adults, those with comorbid medical conditions, and patients with major depression. Potential mechanisms by which exercise may reduce depression are described, and directions for future research in the area are suggested. The available evidence provides considerable support for the value of exercise in reducing depressive symptoms in both healthy and clinical populations. However, many studies have significant methodological limitations. Thus, more data from carefully conducted clinical trials are needed before exercise can be recommended as an alternative to more traditional, empirically validated pharmacological and behavioural therapies.

A prospective analysis of the relationship between walking and mood in sedentary ethnic minority women

Walking for exercise is becoming widely recognized for bestowing health benefits. This study examined the association of walking for exercise and mood in sedentary, ethnic minority women over a five-month period. Ethnic minority women (N = 102) participated in a randomized, controlled trial of a 7-week behaviorally based telephone and mail intervention that promoted the adoption of walking for exercise compared to a non-behavioral minimal intervention. At 2-month post-test and 5-month follow-up, participants reported significant decreases in depressive mood and increases in vigor. Increase in walking over the course of the study was associated with change in vigor. Limited evidence was found to support a relationship between walking for exercise and mood improvement in ethnic-minority women.

The effect of short-term (10- and 15-min) running at self-selected intensity on mood alteration

The primary purpose of this study was to contrast the effects of two short-duration exercises on mood changes. A secondary goal was to examine the relationship between pre-exercise and post-exercise mood states. The subjects were 15 healthy male graduate students. They were involved in a within-subject design in which each individual completed two trials of running on a treadmill, one trial for 10 minutes and the other for 15 minutes. The Mood Checklist Short-form 1 (MCL-S1) used in the present study represents the participants' mood states before, during, and after exercise. This questionnaire has three sub-scales measuring (a) pleasantness, (b) relaxation, and (c) anxiety. Participants ran on a treadmill for the assigned time at a self-selected intensity after being told to run at a rate that felt good and was not painful. ANOVA results showed that both of the short bouts of exercise affected the subjects' mood, because the main effect of time spent exercising was observed in all sub-scales of the MCL-S1 and there were no significant differences in trial-by-time interaction. In addition to these results, there was a significant correlation between the two trial lengths in the amount of pleasantness and the amount of anxiety felt at post-exercise. There were moderate differences in the effect size (ES) for pre- and post-exercise pleasantness and anxiety levels. These results revealed similar patterns of change. It seems reasonable to conclude, based on this study, that exercise between 10 and 15 minutes results in similar psychological benefits for the person exercising.

Therapeutic impact of exercise on psychiatric diseases: guidelines for exercise testing and prescription

Aerobic exercise seems to be effective in improving general mood and symptoms of depression and anxiety in healthy individuals and psychiatric patients. This effect is not limited to aerobic forms of exercise. There are almost no contraindications for psychiatric patients to participate in exercise programmes, provided they are free from cardiovascular and acute infectious diseases. However, very little is known about the effects of exercise in psychiatric disease other than those in depression and anxiety disorders. A few reports indicate the need for controlled investigations in psychotic and personality disorders. Unfortunately, no general concept for a therapeutic application of physical activity has been developed so far. Reliance on submaximal measures is highly recommended for fitness assessment. Monitoring of exercise intensity during training sessions is most easily done by measuring the heart rate using portable devices (whereas controlling the exact workload may be preferable for scientific purposes). Appropriate pre- and post-training testing is emphasised to enable adequate determinations of fitness gains and to eventually allow positive feedback to be given to patients in clinical settings.

Weekly Exercise Consistently Reinstates Positive Mood

Mood improvement immediately after a single bout of exercise is well documented, but less is known about successive and longer term effects. In a “real-life” field investigation, four kinds of exercise class (Beginners, Advanced, Body Funk and Callanetics) met once a week for up to 7 weeks. Before and after each class the members assessed how they felt by completing a questionnaire listing equal numbers of “positive” and “negative” mood words. Subjects who had attended at least five times were included in the analysis, which led to groups consisting of 18, 20, 16, and 16 subjects, respectively. All four kinds of exercise significantly increased positive and decreased negative feelings, and this result was surprisingly consistent in successive weeks. However, exercise seemed to have a much greater effect on positive than on negative moods. The favorable moods induced by each class seemed to have worn off by the following week, to be reinstated by the class itself. In the Callanetics class, positive mood also improved significantly over time. The Callanetics class involved “slower,” more demanding exercises, not always done to music. The Callanetics and Advanced classes also showed significantly greater preexercise negative moods in the first three sessions. However, these differences disappeared following exercise. Possibly, these two groups had become more “tolerant” to the mood-enhancing effects of physical exercise; this may be in part have been due to “exercise addiction.”

Physical exercise and psychological well being: a critical review

The relation between physical exercise and psychological health has increasingly come under the spotlight over recent years. While the message emanating from physiological research has extolled the general advantages of exercise in terms of physical health, the equivalent psychological literature has revealed a more complex relation. The paper outlines the research evidence, focusing on the relation between physical exercise and depression, anxiety, stress responsivity, mood state, self esteem, premenstrual syndrome, and body image. Consideration is also given to the phenomena of exercise addiction and withdrawal, and implications for exercise prescription are discussed.

The effect of moderate exercise on mood in mildly hypertensive volunteers: a randomized controlled trial

This study reports an investigation of the effect of participating in moderate exercise (three 40-min sessions of brisk walking a week for 6 months) on mood state in 177 sedentary, mildly hypertensive volunteers. Mood was assessed by the Profile of Mood States, Bipolar Form (POMS-BI), and no significant differences were found between control and exercise groups. The intervention group increased its exercise output more than the control group, but there was also a significant increase in exercise done by the control group. We conclude that exercise has no major effect on mood in hypertensive volunteers.

Beyond hormonal therapies in menopause

Women in midlife often access health care providers with reports of hot flashes, sleep problems, and depressed mood, perhaps directly or indirectly associated with menopausal hormone shifts. Evidence that stress conditions have profound effects on reproductive function is suggestive that stress adaptation is important to understanding menopausal symptoms. This paper briefly outlines salient interactions between neurohormonal mechanisms of stress responses and reproduction known to be affected by exercise, dietary intake and cognitive strategies, as a basis for advocating research that tests these therapies as alternatives or complements to drug therapies for menopausal symptoms. Reductions in hot flashes and positive mood and sleep changes are evident with such therapies but specific study in midlife women is lacking. Specifically, exercise (type, duration, intensity, and timing), dietary intake (type and amount of macronutrients or micronutrients, fiber, and timing), and cognitive techniques (type, amount, duration, and timing), deserve testing for effects on catecholamines, serotonin, opioids, and other neuromediators; ovarian hormones and related steroids, as well as gonadotropins; and circulating neuromediator precursors in midlife women. Further outcomes for testing include body weight, temperature regulation, menstrual cycle regulation, fertility, mood state, eating and sleeping patterns, social patterns, disease risk factors, and symptoms.

Anxiety, depression, quality of life, and self-care among survivors of myocardial infarction

This article examines the relationship between anxiety, depression, quality of life, and performance of suggested self-care behaviors among older adult myocardial infarction survivors. Interviews were conducted with 94 adults aged 65 years and older. The Profile of Mood States was used to measure anxiety and depression. Quality of life was measured with the Perceived Quality of Life scale. The Health Behavior Scale was used to measure performance of suggested self-care behaviors (modify diet, administer medications, manage stress, exercise, and reduce smoking). Depression scores accounted for 49% of the variance in quality of life scores. Depression scores predicted each of the self-care behavior scores. Anxiety scores did not predict quality of life scores or any self-care behavior score. Findings suggest that mental health interventions should become an integral part of formal cardiac rehabilitation programs soon after the infarction; interventions for depression long after the infarction are needed as well.