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Physical exercise through mountain hiking in high‐risk suicide patients. A randomized crossover trial
Author(s) -
Sturm J.,
Plöderl M.,
Fartacek C.,
Kralovec K.,
Neunhäuserer D.,
Niederseer D.,
Hitzl W.,
Niebauer J.,
Schiepek G.,
Fartacek R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2012.01860.x
Subject(s) - suicidal ideation , depression (economics) , randomized controlled trial , beck hopelessness scale , beck depression inventory , crossover study , medicine , physical therapy , suicide attempt , psychology , poison control , suicide prevention , psychiatry , medical emergency , anxiety , alternative medicine , pathology , economics , macroeconomics , placebo
Sturm J, Plöderl M, Fartacek C, Kralovec K, Neunhäuserer D, Niederseer D, Hitzl W, Niebauer J, Schiepek G, Fartacek R. Physical exercise through mountain hiking in high‐risk suicide patients. A randomized crossover trial. Objective: The following crossover pilot study attempts to prove the effects of endurance training through mountain hiking in high‐risk suicide patients. Method: Participants ( n = 20) having attempted suicide at least once and clinically diagnosed with hopelessness were randomly distributed among two groups. Group 1 ( n = 10) began with a 9‐week hiking phase followed by a 9‐week control phase. Group 2 ( n = 10) worked vice versa. Assessments included the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Scale of Suicide Ideation (BSI), and maximum physical endurance. Results: Ten participants of Group 1 and seven participants of Group 2 completed the study. A comparison between conditions showed that, in the hiking phase, there was a significant decrease in hopelessness ( P < 0.0001, d = −1.4) and depression ( P < 0.0001, d = −1.38), and a significant increase in physical endurance ( P < 0.0001, d = 1.0), but no significant effect for suicide ideation ( P = 0.25, d = −0.29). However, within the hiking phase, there was a significant decrease in suicide ideation ( P = 0.005, d = −0.79). Conclusion: The results suggest that a group experience of regular monitored mountain hiking, organized as an add‐on therapy to usual care, is associated with an improvement of hopelessness, depression, and suicide ideation in patients suffering from high‐level suicide risk.