Promoting Active Therapy: Path to Wellness
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Walk-and-talk therapy.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Depression, Anxiety, Physical Activity, Time in Nature, Self-Efficacy. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Can Nature-based Physical Activity Improve Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety?
Overview
This project will examine changes in depression and anxiety following a 10-week intervention promoting nature-based physical activity in mental health settings. We will recruit ten licensed therapists whose caseload includes adults with depression and anxiety. Following a training by our team, each participating therapist will recruit six clients, who will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. Clients in the intervention condition will engage in walk-and-talk therapy outdoors during weekly sessions and discuss strategies for being active outdoors on their own. We will assess changes in depression, anxiety, and nature-based physical activity in both groups.
Detailed description
For this project, we will recruit ten licensed therapists whose caseload includes adults with depression and anxiety. We aim to recruit therapists who practice in northeast Kansas. Our team will lead a 3-hour in-person training for participating therapists that covers project aims and procedures, benefits of nature-based physical activity for mental health, identifying and enrolling suitable clients for participation, recommending and engaging in nature-based physical activity with clients, and completing project assessments.
Following the training, each therapist will recruit six clients aged 18-65 who are willing to participate in a 10-week research study and meet the following criteria: 1) diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorder, 2) able to safely engage in moderate physical activity, and 3) willing to complete all research requirements. Clients who are part of an underrepresented minority group (i.e., racial/ethnic minority, low SES, LGTBQ) will be prioritize during recruitment. Therapists will invite eligible clients to participate in the study, and those who agree will sign an informed consent document. Clients will be randomly assigned to the intervention or active waitlist control (usual care) condition. All participants will receive a Fitbit and download the NatureDose app. During the 10-week intervention, clients and therapists will engage in walk-and-talk therapy outdoors in natural settings during weekly therapy sessions. In addition, therapists will work with clients to set realistic goals for increased nature-based physical activity outside of the therapy setting. Therapists will check in with clients weekly regarding their progress and assist with goal revision, barrier planning, and self-monitoring. Control participants will receive information about nature-based physical activity, and then will receive the full intervention after 10 weeks.
All participating clients will complete surveys assessing depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline (following informed consent) and at the end of the 10-week intervention. Throughout the 10-week intervention, therapists will keep a weekly log of frequency and duration of walk-and talk sessions. Clients will also keep a weekly log of nature-based physical activity, use the NatureDose app to measure time spent in nature each day, and wear a Fitbit to track their daily physical activity. At the end of the intervention, clients will complete a brief satisfaction survey, and therapists will complete an individual interview with the research team.
Interventions
- Behavioral Walk-and-talk therapy
During the 10-week intervention, clients and therapists will engage in walk-and-talk therapy outdoors in natural settings during weekly therapy sessions. In addition, therapists will work with clients to set realistic goals for increased nature-based physical activity outside of the therapy setting. Therapists will check in with clients weekly regarding their progress and assist with goal revision, barrier planning, and self-monitoring.
Primary outcome measures
- Participation in walk-and-talk therapy [Time frame: Weekly throughout the 10-week intervention]
- Perceived therapist support for nature-based physical activity [Time frame: End of intervention (after 10 weeks)]
- Acceptability [Time frame: End of intervention (after 10 weeks)]
Secondary outcome measures (4)
- Self-efficacy for physical activity [Time frame: baseline, 10 weeks]
- Self-efficacy for time in nature [Time frame: baseline, 10 weeks]
- Physical activity [Time frame: Weekly throughout the 10-week intervention]
- Time in nature [Time frame: Weekly throughout the 10-week intervention]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Current client of a participating therapist who has completed study training
- Diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorder
- Able to safely engage in moderate physical activity
- Willing to complete all study requirements
Exclusion criteria
- Planning to discontinue therapy in less than 6 months
- Active suicidal ideation
- Does not pass exercise risk screener
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Kansas State University — Manhattan
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06858189 · IRB12197