The Effects of Regular Mountain Hiking on Hopelessness in Chronically Suicidal Patients

NCT ID: NCT01152086

Last Updated: 2011-09-23

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

24 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2010-07-31

Study Completion Date

2010-12-31

Brief Summary

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Suicide is a major public health issue with estimated 1 million deaths worldwide within the last year. Physical activity and nature recreation might be protective factors against suicidal behaviour, suicidal ideation and contributing factors like depression and hopelessness.

In this randomized controlled cross-over intervention study the investigators aim to investigate the physical and psychological effects of a 9 weeks hiking program in chronically suicidal patients. The investigators aim to enroll 24 patients suffering from chronic suicidality, defined as at least one attempted suicide and a hopelessness greater than 26 in Beck's Hopelessness Scale summary score. At baseline patients will undergo pre-tests including questionnaires to assess suicide ideation, hopelessness, depression, anxiety, quality of life and health-related physical activity, physiological investigations to assess exercise capacity and blood investigations. Randomly assigned 12 patients start with the 9 weeks supervised mountain hiking program followed by a 9-week-period without supervised exercise program. The other 12 patients start with 9 weeks without supervised exercise program followed by a 9-week-period of supervised mountain hiking program. The mountain hiking program includes 2 training sessions per week with a duration of 3 hours per session. The hiking intervention will be performed within 70-85% of heart rate reserve and gymnastics for body and nature perception, mobilisation and stretching will enrich the training program. Further investigations including questionnaire-assessments, assessment of exercise capacity and blood investigations will be scheduled 9 and 18 weeks after the study start. In addition a daily assessment of several suicide risk-factors based on a web-based questionnaire will be done over the full study period. Within this mountain hiking program the investigators hope to reduce hopelessness in chronically suicidal patients.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Suicide Hopelessness

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Hiking first

This group first starts with mountain hiking over 9 weeks followed by a 9 weeks control period.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Mountain hiking in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps

Intervention Type OTHER

Regularly supervised physical exercise training program.

Duration over all: 9 weeks; Frequency: 2 times per week; Duration one training-unit: 3 hours;

Program:

* Endurance training (performed within 70-85% of the maximum heart rate)
* Short exercises before hiking (Mobilisation, Body and nature perception, ca. 5 min)
* Stretching after hiking (ca. 5 min)
* Short break at half-time (ca. 15 min)

Control first

This group first starts with the control period (9 weeks) followed by the 9 weeks mountain hiking intervention.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Mountain hiking in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps

Intervention Type OTHER

Regularly supervised physical exercise training program.

Duration over all: 9 weeks; Frequency: 2 times per week; Duration one training-unit: 3 hours;

Program:

* Endurance training (performed within 70-85% of the maximum heart rate)
* Short exercises before hiking (Mobilisation, Body and nature perception, ca. 5 min)
* Stretching after hiking (ca. 5 min)
* Short break at half-time (ca. 15 min)

Interventions

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Mountain hiking in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps

Regularly supervised physical exercise training program.

Duration over all: 9 weeks; Frequency: 2 times per week; Duration one training-unit: 3 hours;

Program:

* Endurance training (performed within 70-85% of the maximum heart rate)
* Short exercises before hiking (Mobilisation, Body and nature perception, ca. 5 min)
* Stretching after hiking (ca. 5 min)
* Short break at half-time (ca. 15 min)

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Chronically suicidal defined as:

* at least one attempted suicide
* BHS summary scale \> 26

Exclusion Criteria

* Coronary heart disease defined by angina pectoris or relevant ST-changes during exercise or myocardial infarction in the last 6 months
* not oriented in time and space
* demented
* acute psychotic
* cognitively impaired
* insufficient german language skills
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Paracelsus Medical University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Prof. Josef Niebauer M.D., Ph.D.

Prim. Prof. MD, PhD, MBA

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Reinhold Fartacek, MD, MBA

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Paracelsus Medical University

References

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Babiss LA, Gangwisch JE. Sports participation as a protective factor against depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents as mediated by self-esteem and social support. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2009 Oct;30(5):376-84. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0b013e3181b33659.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19692930 (View on PubMed)

Brown DR, Galuska DA, Zhang J, Eaton DK, Fulton JE, Lowry R, Maynard LM. Psychobiology and behavioral strategies. Physical activity, sport participation, and suicidal behavior: U.S. high school students. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Dec;39(12):2248-57. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e31815793a3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18046198 (View on PubMed)

Simon TR, Powell KE, Swann AC. Involvement in physical activity and risk for nearly lethal suicide attempts. Am J Prev Med. 2004 Nov;27(4):310-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2004.07.003.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15488361 (View on PubMed)

Taliaferro LA, Rienzo BA, Pigg RM Jr, Miller MD, Dodd VJ. Associations between physical activity and reduced rates of hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior among college students. J Am Coll Health. 2009 Jan-Feb;57(4):427-36. doi: 10.3200/JACH.57.4.427-436.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19114382 (View on PubMed)

Tao FB, Xu ML, Kim SD, Sun Y, Su PY, Huang K. Physical activity might not be the protective factor for health risk behaviours and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents. J Paediatr Child Health. 2007 Nov;43(11):762-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2007.01217.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17924938 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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Hiking2010

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id