Exploring the effectiveness of an integrated exercise/CBT intervention for young men's mental health.

Objective: This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a team-based sport/psychosocial intervention (Back of the Net, BTN) with an individual exercise (IE) and a control condition for the mental health of young men.

Design: Ten-week randomized control trial and eight-week post-intervention follow-up. Methods.  A total of 104 sedentary males aged between 18 and 40 years were recruited and randomly assigned to the BTN, IE, or a control condition. The BTN programme integrated team sport (i.e., football) and cognitive-behavioural techniques. IE sessions included aerobic and resistance training. The control group refrained from exercise. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory - 2nd Edition (BDI-II), the Social Provisions Scale (SPS) and a short qualitative questionnaire at pre-intervention, week 5, post-intervention and at 8-week follow-up.

Results: Participants in both the BTN and the IE condition demonstrated a significant decrease in BDI-II scores compared to the control condition at post-intervention and at 8-week follow-up. The IE condition demonstrated significantly greater perceived social support than the BTN condition at week 5 and the control group at 8-week follow-up. Qualitative data support the main empirical findings.

Conclusion: Exercise-based interventions were effective in reducing symptoms of depression in a non-clinical community sample of young men. The BTN programme demonstrated potential for improving the mental health of young men however larger scale community-based research is warranted to further examine the effectiveness of this type of intervention.