Effects of a group-based lifestyle medicine for depression: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Smartphone-delivered multicomponent lifestyle medicine intervention for improving mental health in a nonclinical population: a randomized controlled trial

Objective

To prevent the exacerbation of mental health burdens, a growing body of research has recommended a balanced approach that emphasizes both the delivery of mental health treatments to individuals with common mental disorders (CMDs) and the strengthening of protective factors for CMDs among nonclinical populations. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the efficacy of a smartphone-delivered multicomponent lifestyle medicine (LM) intervention, Lifestyle Hub, for improving mental health among a nonclinical population of Chinese adults.

Methods

A total of 106 participants with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 total score < 10 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale <8 were randomly assigned to either the Lifestyle Hub intervention group (LH, n = 53) or the waitlist control group (WL, n = 53). Lifestyle Hub is an 8-week smartphone-delivered multicomponent LM intervention developed based on the transtheoretical model. The intervention components included lifestyle psychoeducation, physical activity, diet and nutrition, stress management, sleep management, and motivation and goal-setting techniques. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up (LH only).

Results

The linear mixed effect model based on the intention-to-treat principle indicated that Lifestyle Hub significantly improved overall mental health, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, stress, insomnia severity, overall health-promoting behaviors, dietary quality, and stress management compared to the WL group at immediate post-intervention (d = 0.13-0.56). No significant between-group differences were observed in terms of functional impairment, health-related quality of life, health responsibility, physical activity level, spiritual growth, and interpersonal relations. The intervention gains in the LH group were maintained at 1-month follow-up. The LH participants indicated that Lifestyle Hub was an acceptable intervention for improving mental health, although a significantly higher level of study attrition was observed in the LH group (20.8%) relative to the WL group (5.7%).

Conclusion

Lifestyle Hub may serve as an efficacious and acceptable intervention for improving mental health in nonclinical adult populations. To extend the benefits of LM interventions at the population level, future studies are warranted to examine a stepped-care approach to delivering LM interventions.Trial registration: This randomized controlled trial was pre-registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04295369).

Efficacy of lifestyle medicine on sleep quality: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVES

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy of multicomponent lifestyle medicine (LM) interventions for improving sleep quality have yielded inconsistent findings. This study marks the first meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of multicomponent LM interventions in improving sleep quality.

METHODS

We searched six online databases for RCTs that compared multicomponent LM interventions to an active or inactive control group in an adult population and assessed subjective sleep quality as a primary or secondary outcome using validated sleep measures at any post-intervention time-point.

RESULTS

A total of 23 RCTs with 26 comparisons involving 2534 participants were included in the meta-analysis. After excluding outliers, the analysis revealed that multicomponent LM interventions significantly improved sleep quality at immediate post-intervention (d = 0.45) and at short-term follow-up (i.e., <three months) (d = 0.50) relative to an inactive control group. Regarding the comparison with active control, no significant between-group difference was found at any time-point. No meta-analysis was conducted at the medium- and long-term follow-up due to insufficient data. Subgroup analyses supported that multicomponent LM interventions had a more clinically relevant effect on improving sleep quality in participants with clinical levels of sleep disturbance (d = 1.02) relative to an inactive control at immediate post-intervention assessment. There was no evidence of publication bias.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provided preliminary evidence that multicomponent LM interventions were efficacious in improving sleep quality relative to an inactive control at immediate post-intervention and at short-term follow-up. Additional high-quality RCTs targeting individuals with clinically significant sleep disturbance and long-term follow-up are warranted.

Lifestyle medicine for anxiety symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Lifestyle medicine (LM) is gaining increasing attention as a treatment option for anxiety, but the current state of evidence has not yet been systematically examined.

METHODS

Six electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to February 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effects of multicomponent LM interventions on anxiety symptoms with either care-as-usual, waitlist, no intervention, or attention control group on anxiety symptoms were identified.

RESULTS

A total of 53 RCTs with 18,894 participants were included for qualitative synthesis, in which 45 RCTs with data available were included for meta-analysis. Multicomponent LM intervention was significantly more effective than the control groups in reducing anxiety symptoms at immediate posttreatment (d = 0.19, p < .001) and at short-term follow-up (d = 0.29, p < .001). However, no significant difference at medium-term was found (p = .14), whereas more studies are needed to study the long-term effects. The subgroup analyses suggested that baseline anxiety symptoms was a significant moderator, suggesting that those with moderate level of baseline anxiety symptoms appeared to have greater improvements (d = 0.66, p < .05).

LIMITATIONS

Minimal anxiety symptoms at baseline contributed to the floor effect and influenced the degree of improvement. The included RCTs had a high risk of bias in general with potential publication bias detected.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this meta-analysis provided support for the positive effects of multicomponent LM interventions for anxiety symptoms. Future research is needed to determine the long-term effects of multicimponent LM and the optimal baseline anxiety severity.

Effectiveness of a lifestyle modification programme in the treatment of depression symptoms in primary care

Background

Depression symptoms are prevalent in the general population, and their onset and continuation may be related to biological and psychosocial factors, many of which are related to lifestyle aspects. Health promotion and lifestyle modification programmes (LMPs) may be effective on reducing the symptoms. The objective of this study was to analyse the clinical effectiveness of a LMP and a LMP plus Information and Communication Technologies, when compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU) over 6 months. The interventions were offered as an adjuvant treatment delivered in Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) for people with depression symptoms.

Methods

We conducted an open-label, multicentre, pragmatic, randomized clinical trial. Participants were recruited from several PHCs. Those participants visiting general practitioner for any reason, who also met the inclusion criteria (scoring 10 to 30 points on the Beck II Self-Applied Depression Inventory) were invited to take part in the study. TAU+LMP consisted of six weekly 90-min group sessions focused on improving lifestyle. TAU+LMP + ICTs replicated the TAU+LMP format, plus the addition of a wearable smartwatch to measure daily minutes walked and sleep patterns. A total of 188 participants consented to participate in the study and were randomized. We used linear mixed models, with a random intercept and an unstructured covariance to evaluate the impact of the interventions compared to TAU.

Results

Both interventions showed a statistically significant reduction on depressive symptoms compared to TAU (TAU+LMP vs. TAU slope difference, b = −3.38, 95% CI= [−5.286, −1.474] p = 0.001 and TAU+LMP+ICTs vs. TAU slope difference, b = −4.05, 95% CI = [−5.919, −2.197], p < 0.001). These reductions imply a moderate effect size. In the TAU+LMP+ICTs there was a significant increase regarding minutes walking per week (b = 99.77) and adherence to Mediterranean diet (b = 0.702). In the TAU+LMP there was a significant decrease regarding bad sleep quality (b = −1.24).

Conclusion

TAU+LMPs administered in PHCs to people experiencing depression symptoms were effective on reducing these symptoms compared to TAU. They also have a positive impact on changing several lifestyle factors. These findings indicate that these interventions can be promising strategies for PHCs.

Associations Between Severity of Depression, Lifestyle Patterns, and Personal Factors Related to Health Behavior: Secondary Data Analysis From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Depression is a prevalent condition that has a significant impact on psychosocial functioning and quality of life. The onset and persistence of depression have been linked to a variety of biological and psychosocial variables. Many of these variables are associated with specific lifestyle characteristics, such as physical activity, diet, and sleep patterns. Some psychosocial determinants have an impact on people’ health-related behavior change. These include personal factors such as sense of coherence, patient activation, health literacy, self-efficacy, and procrastination. This study aims to analyze the association between the severity of depression, lifestyle patterns, and personal factors related to health behavior. It also aims to analyze whether personal factors moderate the relationship between lifestyles and depression.

Methods

This study is a secondary data analysis (SDA) of baseline data collected at the start of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). A sample of 226 patients with subclinical, mild, or moderate depression from primary healthcare centers in two sites in Spain (Zaragoza and Mallorca) was used, and descriptive, bivariate, multivariate, and moderation analyses were performed. Depression was the primary outcome, measured by Beck II Self-Applied Depression Inventory. Lifestyle variables such as physical exercise, adherence to Mediterranean diet and sleep quality, social support, and personal factors such as self-efficacy, patient activation in their own health, sense of coherence, health literacy, and procrastination were considered secondary outcomes.

Results

Low sense of coherence (β = −0.172; p < 0.001), poor sleep quality (β = 0.179; p = 0.008), low patient activation (β = −0.119; p = 0.019), and sedentarism (more minutes seated per day; β = 0.003; p = 0.025) are predictors of having more depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses were not significant.

Discussion

Lifestyle and personal factors are related to depressive symptomatology. Our findings reveal that sense of coherence, patient’s activation level, sedentarism, and sleep quality are associated with depression. Further research is needed regarding adherence to Mediterranean diet, minutes walking per week and the interrelationship between lifestyles, personal factors, and depression.