Introduction: Major depressive disorders (MDD) are a leading health concern worldwide. While first line medication treatments may fall short of desired therapeutic outcomes, physical activity (PA) interventions appear to be a promising and cost-effective add-on to improve symptoms of depression. This study aimed to address challenges in the assessment of PA in inpatients treated for MDD by examining the correspondence of self-reported and accelerometer-based PA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver 300 million individuals worldwide suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD). Individuals with MDD are less physically active than healthy people which results in lower cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and less favorable perceived fitness compared with healthy controls. Additionally, individuals with MDD may show autonomic system dysfunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is an increasingly common psychiatric illness associated with a high risk of insufficient physical activity, which in turn is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes. Theory-based, individually tailored, in-person and remote physical activity counseling has the potential to increase physical activity levels in various populations. Given this, the present study investigated the effect of such a physical activity intervention on the physical activity behavior of in-patients with MDD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Compared to the general population, individuals with depression have an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, little is known so far whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) moderates this relationship. Therefore, we examined whether common physiological cardiovascular risk factors differ between patients with depression and healthy (non-depressed) controls, whether patients and controls differ in CRF, and whether higher CRF is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk in both patients and healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are characterized by neurocognitive impairments and show deficits in various cognitive performance indicators, including executive function. We examined whether sustained attention and inhibitory control differ between patients with MDD and healthy controls, and whether differences exist between patients with mild, moderate, and severe depression.
Methods: Clinical in-patients ( = 212) aged 18-65 years with a current diagnosis of MDD and 128 healthy controls were recruited.
Background: The physical activity counseling for in-patients with major depression (PACINPAT) randomized controlled trial was launched to tackle physical inactivity for in-patients with major depressive disorder. Evidence shows that despite potential treatment effects, physical inactivity is prevalent in this population. To contribute to the assessment of how this in-person and remote, theory-based, individually tailored intervention was designed, received and effected behavior, the aim of this study was to evaluate its implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: A physical activity counseling intervention based on a motivation-volition model was developed and delivered to in-patients with Major Depressive Disorders with the aim of increasing lifestyle physical activity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the short-term outcomes of this intervention.
Methods: A multi-center randomized controlled trial was conducted in four Swiss psychiatric clinics.
Individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and social phobia (SP) have difficulties in social interactions. It is unknown, however, whether such difficulties prevent them from helping others, thereby depriving them of the natural benefits of helping, such as receiving gratitude. Using event sampling methodology (ESM), individuals (MDD, n = 118; SP, n = 47; and control group, n = 119) responded to questions about the frequency of helping, in total at 5333 time points, and their well-being.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Government restrictions during the first COVID-19 lockdown, such as the closure of gyms and fitness centers, drastically limited the training opportunities of bodybuilders and fitness athletes (BoFA) who rely on indoor training facilities. This provided a unique situation to investigate the effect of training limitations on the training patterns, training adaptive strategies and mental health of BoFAs.
Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to investigate differences in the training patterns and the mental health of BoFA before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown.
The Importance of Physical Activity for Mental Health Due to the worldwide high prevalence of psychiatric disorders and its association with sedentary behavior and comorbid physical diseases, increasing physical activity in psychiatric populations is of high importance. Regular physical activity is associated with increased mental wellbeing and has shown to have preventive effects on depression, anxiety disorders and probably sleep disorders. Additionally, positive effects on comorbid chronic physical diseases have been found.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDue to the worldwide high prevalence of psychiatric disorders and its association with sedentary behavior and comorbid physical diseases, increasing physical activity in psychiatric populations is of high importance. Regular physical activity is associated with increased mental wellbeing and has shown to have preventive effects on depression, anxiety disorders and probably sleep disorders. Additionally, positive effects on comorbid chronic physical diseases have been found.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSports Psychiatry in Competitive Sports - Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional Care and Collaboration Mental complaints and illnesses are common health problems in competitive sports, and mental health, like physical health and performance, is an integral dimension in competitive sports. The promotion of mental health and safe management of mental complaints and illnesses in competitive sports requires a qualified medical discipline for mental health: sports psychiatry as well as an interdisciplinary and interprofessional understanding of care and cooperation. In the following article, sports psychiatry in competitive sports will be addressed and (i) mental health promotion and prevention, (ii) the tandem concept of interprofessional care and collaboration, (iii) diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare of mental disorders and illnesses, and (iv) education and training in sports psychiatry will be presented and discussed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViolence and Abuse in Competitive Sports Violence and abuse in competitive sports, such as physical and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect and sexual abuse, affect children, adolescents and adults alike and lead to severe physical, psychological and social consequences. In current medical and educational care concepts of athletes, there is a lack of consistent integration of sports/psychiatric, clinical psychological and psychotherapeutic, developmental pediatric and developmental psychological expertise. Problem areas arise from fine lines between harassment, non-physical and physical violence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViolence and abuse in competitive sports, such as physical and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect and sexual abuse, affect children, adolescents and adults alike and lead to severe physical, psychological and social consequences. In current medical and educational care concepts of athletes, there is a lack of consistent integration of sports/psychiatric, clinical psychological and psychotherapeutic, developmental pediatric and developmental psychological expertise. Problem areas arise from fine lines between harassment, non-physical and physical violence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMental complaints and illnesses are common health problems in competitive sports, and mental health, like physical health and performance, is an integral dimension in competitive sports. The promotion of mental health and safe management of mental complaints and illnesses in competitive sports requires a qualified medical discipline for mental health: sports psychiatry as well as an interdisciplinary and interprofessional understanding of care and cooperation. In the following article, sports psychiatry in competitive sports will be addressed and (i) mental health promotion and prevention, (ii) the tandem concept of interprofessional care and collaboration, (iii) diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare of mental disorders and illnesses, and (iv) education and training in sports psychiatry will be presented and discussed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: It is known that only 50% of patients diagnosed with major depressive disorders (MDD) respond to the first-line antidepressant treatment. Accordingly, there is a need to improve response rates to reduce healthcare costs and patient suffering. One approach to increase rates of treatment response might be the integration of pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing to stratify antidepressant drug selection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, increased patterns of substance use have been reported in the general population. However, whether this also applies to athletes is not yet clear. This study aimed to detect changes in alcohol consumption and cannabis use in elite athletes and bodybuilders during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMajor depression is a psychiatric disease associated with physical inactivity, which in turn affects mental and physical health. A randomized controlled trial is being implemented to facilitate physical activity in people with major depression. In March 2020, Swiss state authorities temporarily legislated a lockdown to contain the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), which influenced health, behavior and research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic and the associated first lockdown measures may have had a relevant impact on the mental health of competitive athletes. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of various mental health issues in a Swiss elite athletes' cohort during the first lockdown of the pandemic, and to assess their association with different potential risk factors. Elite athletes from different disciplines were interviewed during the first lockdown in spring 2020 by means of an online questionnaire on symptoms of existing anxieties, depression and sleep disorders, as well as on training circumstances and physical performance before and during the lockdown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHumans need meaningful social interactions, but little is known about the consequences of not having them. We examined meaningful social interactions and the lack thereof in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) or social phobia (SP) and compared them to a control group (CG). Using event-sampling methodology, we sampled participants' everyday social behavior 6 times per day for 1 week in participants' natural environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(1) Background: While the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise (AE) are well documented, fewer studies have examined impact of AE as an add-on treatment. Moreover, various effects on neurobiological variables have been suggested. This study examines effects of AE on Cortisol Awakening Reaction (CAR), serum Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (sBDNF), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and sleep.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA meta-analysis was performed to examine therapeutic effects of Silexan on somatic symptoms, including insomnia/fatigue, and physical health in patients with anxiety disorders. Five randomized, placebo-controlled trials were included in this analysis: The efficacy of Silexan (80 mg/day) was investigated in patients with subthreshold anxiety disorders (three trials) and in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (two trials). Silexan was superior to placebo in terms of the mean change from baseline in the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) subscore somatic anxiety at week 10 with a standardized mean difference of -0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Post-event processing (PEP) after social interactions (SIs) contributes to the persistence of social phobia (SP). This study investigated whether PEP as a transdiagnostic process also occurs in major depressive disorder (MDD) and controls. We also tested to what extent PEP was explained by trait levels of social anxiety (SA) or depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Stress and social isolation are potent predictors of negative health outcomes and are impacted in mood and anxiety disorders. Difficulties in social interactions have been particularly noted in people diagnosed with major depression disorder (MDD) and social phobia (SP). It remains poorly understood, however, how these variables interact on a moment-to-moment basis and which variables moderate this relationship.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Aerobic exercise (AE) has positive effects on symptom severity and cognitive symptoms of depression. Since data on AE as add-on to inpatient treatment in depression is still scarce, we conducted this double-blind randomized controlled study.
Methods: Patients aged between 18 and 60 years were recruited into the study if Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 (HDRS-17) score was >16.