Abstract
Introduction: Major 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. The aim of this study was to find out whether data gathered before and during/after the lockdown among in-patients with major depression differ with regard to psychosocial health, physical activity and related attitudes and to establish whether baseline data have been affected by the lockdown.Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis within a randomized controlled trial. Physically inactive, adult in-patients diagnosed with major depression were recruited from four Swiss psychiatric clinics between January 2019 and December 2020. Psychosocial health was measured with questionnaires pertaining to stress, sleep and health-related quality of life. Physical activity was measured with the Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire. Explicit attitudes were measured with seven questionnaires pertaining to physical activity-related motivation and volition. Implicit attitudes toward physical activity were captured with a single target implicit association test.Results: The sample consisted of 165 participants (n = 119 before lockdown, n = 46 during/after lockdown). No statistically significant differences were found between in-patients with major depression assessed before and during/after the COVID-19 lockdown with regard to psychosocial health (stress, p = 0.51; sleep, p = 0.70; physical component of health-related quality of life, p = 0.55; mental component of health-related quality of life, p = 0.64), self-reported physical activity (p = 0.16) and explicit as well as implicit attitudes toward physical activity (p = 0.94). Hence, the COVID-19-induced lockdown seems not to have led to group differences.Conclusion: Baseline data gathered in in-patients suffering from major depression who are physically inactive upon admission to in-patient treatment in Switzerland seem to be unaffected by the COVID-19-induced lockdown. To assess changes in said population regarding psychosocial health and physical activity patterns over time, longitudinal data are needed.
Highlights
Major depression is a psychiatric disease associated with physical inactivity, which in turn affects mental and physical health
As reflected in Beck Depression Inventory score (BDI)-scores at screening compared to baseline, depression scores reduced in line with being in in-patient treatment
It can be said that the COVID-19induced lockdown did not lead to differences in the current groups recruited and assessed before and during/after the lockdown
Summary
Major depression is a psychiatric disease associated with physical inactivity, which in turn affects mental and physical health. They spend a mean difference of −11.6 min (95% CI = −25.70–2.60) less being physically active and a mean difference of −0.2 h (95% CI = −19.7–0.8) more in sedentary behavior These differences are deemed statistically significant (p < 0.05; Schuch et al, 2017). Low levels of physical activity may perpetuate symptoms and even increase the risk for MDD (Mammen and Faulkner, 2013) This is supported by meta-analytic data, which states that compared to people engaging in low levels of physical activity, those engaging in high levels have lower odds to develop MDD (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.79–0.88), and that physical activity can have a protective effect across ages and geographic regions (Schuch et al, 2018). Inactivity leads to negative outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, more severe negative mental health symptoms and poor socio-occupational functioning (Firth et al, 2016)
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