Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program College of Health and Human Services, Northern Kentucky University In patients with depression (P), how does being physically active (I) compared to inactivity (C) affect depressive symptoms (O) in a span of twelve months (T) ?

P H Y S I C A L A C T I V I T Y A N D D E P R E S S I V E S Y M P T O M S XXXX Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program College of Health and Human Services, Northern Kentucky University

P I C O T Q U E S T I O N In patients with depression (P), how does being physically active (I) compared to inactivity (C) affect depressive symptoms (O) in a span of twelve months (T) ? 

To establish a connection that being physically active has a direct positive impact on reducing depressive symptoms. o To educate my patients on the benefits of exercise on mental health – it relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. o And lastly, to counsel patients on the adoption of exercise as an adjunct therapy for depression.

M A J O R F I N D I N G S o Hernandez et al. (2019) concluded how significant the role of an exercise program was for health promotion for improving mental health and reducing depressive symptoms. o Kaya (2020) concluded that swimming exercise had a positive effect on decreasing hopelessness and depression levels in women; also physically inactive women, compared to active women, showed increased levels of depression and anxiety, decreased well-being, and memory concentration problems. o Stubbs et al. (2016) concluded that data from the largest multinational study established that depression is This study source was downloaded by 100000898494836 from CourseHero.com on 06-18-2025 05:09:30 GMT -05:00 associated with low physical activity.

M A J O R F I N D I N G S o Jin et al. (2019) concluded longterm exercise intervention combined with resistance exercise and walking reduced depression symptoms. A therapeutic role of regular exercise promotes overall and mental health in geriatric populations. o Gruenenfelder-Steiger et al. (2017) concluded daily physical activity was negatively related to daily depressive moods.

G A P S I N L I T E R AT U R E o Limited sample size o Poor generalizability o Lack of a control group o Lack of diversity This study source was downloaded by 100000898494836 from CourseHero.com on 06-18-2025 05:09:30 GMT -05:00

R E S E A R C H N E E D S / N E X T S T E P S o Strategies to reduce depressive symptoms and improve emotional wellbeing in older Hispanic/Latino adults are absent from scientific literature; culturally appropriate and costeffective interventions to reduce depression in Hispanics/Latinos are both needed and critical given the stigma associated with mental illness in this population and reluctance in taking antidepressant medication (Hernandez et al., 2019). o There’s a need to integrate the importance of physical activity into the existing Information, Education and Communication public health awareness campaigns, especially on This study source was downloaded by 100000898494836 from CourseHero.com on 06-18-2025 05:09:30 GMT -05:00 R E S E A R C H N E E D S / N E X T S T E P S o Future studies are needed to better understand how, when and why different types of physical activities (and not just the amount of daily steps) can prevent or reduce depressive mood (Gruenenfelder-Steiger et al., 2017). o Additional studies would be necessary to elucidate the biologic link between the alleviation of depression symptoms and improvements of body composition and functional physical capacity between men and women (Jin et al., 2019). This study source was downloaded by 100000898494836 from CourseHero.com on 06-18-2025 05:09:30 GMT -05:00 R E F E R E N C E S Gruenenfelder-Steiger, A. E., Katana, M., Martin, A. A., Aschwanden, D., Koska, J. L., Kündig, Y., Pfister-Lipp, E., & Allemand, M. (2017). Physical Activity and Depressive Mood in the Daily Life of Older Adults. GeroPsych: The Journal of Gerontopsychology and Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(3), 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000172 Hernandez, R., Andrade, F., Piedra, L. M., Tabb, K. M., Xu, S., & Sarkisian, C. (2019). The Impact of Exercise on Depressive Symptoms in Older Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results From the '¡Caminemos!' Study. Aging & Mental Health, 23(6), 680–685. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1450833 Jin, Y., Kim, D., Hong, H., & Kang, H. (2019). A Long-Term Exercise Intervention Reduces Depressive Symptoms in Older Korean Women. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 18(3), 399–404. Kaya, H. B. (2020). Effect of Swimming Exercise in Old Age on Hopelessness and Depression Levels. African Educational Research Journal, 8(2): S353-S359. DOI: 10.30918/AERJ.8S2.20.065 Stubbs, B., Koyanagi, A., Schuch, F. B., Firth, J., Rosenbaum, S., Veronese, N., Solmi, M., Mugisha, J., & Vancampfort, D. (2016). Physical Activity and Depression: A Large Cross-sectional, Population-based Study Across 36 Lowand Middle-income Countries. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 134(6), 546. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12654 Thi