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.
RCT Entities:
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.
Authors: P Gudmundsson; M Lindwall; D R Gustafson; S Östling; T Hällström; M Waern; I Skoog Journal: Acta Psychiatr Scand Date: 2015-04-11 Impact factor: 6.392
Authors: Keith Hawton; Katrina G Witt; Tatiana L Taylor Salisbury; Ella Arensman; David Gunnell; Philip Hazell; Ellen Townsend; Kees van Heeringen Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2016-05-12
Authors: Martin Niedermeier; Carina Grafetstätter; Arnulf Hartl; Martin Kopp Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2017-08-11 Impact factor: 3.390