Depressed Adolescents Treated With Exercise (The DATE Study)
Condition: Depression
MeSH terms: Depression
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate whether standardized aerobic exercise is an effective treatment for
      depression in adolescents.
    

Detailed description: 
      Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disabling form of depression in which sadness and
      inability to feel pleasure prevent people from living their normal lives. MDD is common in
      adolescents, and depression experienced early in life can lead to long-term psychological and
      social impairment or suicide. Studies of depressed adults show that regular aerobic exercise
      can result in recovery from mild to moderate MDD. Studies also show that adolescents who
      exercise regularly have lower rates of depression, but no randomized, controlled studies have
      examined exercise as a treatment for depression in adolescents. This study will compare a
      standardized aerobic exercise routine to a stretching control group to determine whether
      aerobic exercise is an effective treatment for MDD in adolescents.

      Participation in this study will last 12 weeks, with follow-up interviews taking place after
      6 and 12 months. Participants will first undergo screening procedures, during which
      adolescent participants and their parents will complete interviews and questionnaires about
      the adolescent's mood and behavior. Participants will also need to provide physician-written
      letters confirming that they are healthy enough to participate in the exercise program. After
      screening, participants will be randomly assigned to either an exercise program or a
      stretching program. At the first study visit, a course of exercise or stretching will be set
      for each participant. Participants in both groups will spend the same amount of time doing
      physical activity. They will complete three to four exercise or stretching sessions per week
      for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Participants will be able to
      complete some sessions at home, but they will need to return to the study exercise center for
      weekly study visits. At these study visits, participants will be weighed to determine if the
      level of exercise needs to be adjusted, and they will complete questionnaires about their
      depression. Over the course of the study, participants will wear a wrist-watch-like device
      called an Actical, which will monitor energy use. Participants will also undergo heart rate
      monitoring while exercising and complete an exercise log online. A set of questionnaires and
      interviews similar to those at screening will also be repeated at 6- and 12-month follow-ups.
    

Intervention name(s): Aerobic exercise; Stretching
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Aerobic exercises completed three to four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session; Easy to moderate stretching routines completed three times per week, with a new set of routines given each week
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Exercise; Stretching; Adolescents