Citation

Bandara NA. Clin. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/13591045211024226

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Jarbin et al.'s (2021) study highlight the potential benefits of a group exercise program for young patients with persistent major depression. When evaluating the exercise program's impact on depressive symptoms in the long-term, there was a statistically significant (p <.001) reduction in scores of both the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-A) clinician-administered and self-reported versions. Further, when comparing baseline to one-year follow-up, the metric used to measure wellbeing found a statistically significant (p =.011) improvement in participants' wellbeing. However, the authors share an important consideration involving the challenges associated with transitioning from group-based exercise programs to independently directed exercise. This challenge can limit participation in exercise, thus hindering the benefits of exercise. One of the potential reasons for this observed challenge could be due to environmental barriers associated with exercise, including the distance to gyms and gym costs (Glowacki et al., 2017; Monteiro et al., 2020). These environmental barriers can make it quite challenging for young people with persistent depression to exercise independently.

Distance to the gym was a barrier noted by Monteiro et al. (2020), in this study 53.2% of participants either agreed or strongly agreed that distance to the gym was a barrier to exercise. Other studies in the literature have found that the distance to physical activity resources, such as gyms, are negatively correlated with physical activity (Jilcott et al., 2007). Further, given the age of adolescents, they may not have access to a driver's license or vehicle for transportation to physical activity spaces that are not accessible by public transportation. One way to mitigate the barrier of gym distance is to provide patients transitioning from group-based to individual exercise programs with home gym equipment and virtual instruction resources. This intervention is even more appealing given our current context living amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, where access to many physical activity resources have been limited. By engaging in physical activity at home with sufficient equipment, the issue of distance to physical activity resources is greatly reduced. Further, by supplementing equipment with virtual instruction, we are providing continued support for patients to engage in physical activity. Virtual instruction could be provided by a kinesiologist or a personal trainer through a convenient online platform...

Language: en