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Using Physical Activity to Improve Adolescents' MDD Symptoms
In part 1 of this Q&A, Parco Sui, PhD, associate professor and head of the Kinesiology Division at the University of Hong Kong discussed what inspired his and his coauthors' study, "Physical Activity Interventions to Alleviate Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents" recently published in JAMA Network, including the desire to investigate a more accessible treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).
In part 2, Dr Sui examines what the study results will mean for clinicians, patients with MDD, and what further research is needed from here.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Evi Arthur, Psych Congress Network: What practical applications of your findings are available for clinicians treating major depressive disorder (MDD)?
Dr Parco Siu: Depression is the second most prevalent mental disorder among children and adolescents, yet only a small proportion seeks or receives disorder-specific treatment. Physical activity interventions hold promise as an alternative or adjunctive approach to clinical treatments for depression. Our study demonstrates that the available evidence supports physical activity interventions as an alternative or adjunctive approach to alleviate depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. This substantiates the beneficial role of physical activity on the mental health of pediatric populations.
Arthur: What are the implications of your study findings for patients living with MDD?
Dr Siu: Greater reductions in depressive symptoms were derived from participants with a mental illness and/or depression diagnosis. Clinical practice guidelines should consider the role of physical activity for improving the mental health of young populations.
Arthur: Your study also found that patients with a depression diagnosis over the age of 13 had greater reductions in symptoms. Why do you think this population was particularly affected?
Dr Siu: A recent cohort study reported that between the ages of 12 and 16 years, the physical activity levels of children start to decrease while sedentary time increases, and this was associated with higher depressive symptoms. It is possible that younger children are sufficiently active to be desensitized to additional physical activity, whereas their older and more sedentary counterparts might be more responsive to the intervention. This issue needs to be further researched.
Arthur: Are you conducting more research in this area, and what related studies do you feel are needed?
Dr Siu: We are planning to explore effective approaches to implement the physical activity intervention for children in real-life situations, such as increasing the level of physical activity in children under the school curriculum.
Dr Parco Siu, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Head of the Division of Kinesiology at the School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD training in exercise physiology at West Virginia University School of Medicine followed by postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, the American College of Sports Medicine, the European College of Sport Science, and the Hong Kong Association of Sports Medicine and Sports Science. Dr Siu’s research focuses on exploring the optimal exercise dosage on managing health issues including depression, cognitive impairment, insomnia, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
