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

Suicide Clinical Trial

— MOHS2010  

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01152086
• Other study ID #: Hiking2010
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• First received: June 28, 2010
• Last updated: September 22, 2011
• Start date: July 2010
• Est. completion date: December 2010

Study information

• Verified date: September 2011
• Source: Paracelsus Medical University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Austria: Ethikkommission
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 24
• Est. completion date: December 2010
• Est. primary completion date: December 2010
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

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

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Supportive Care

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hopelessness
• Suicide

Intervention

Other:
• 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)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Paracelsus Medical University	Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical Universtity Salzburg, Institute of Synergetics and Psychotherapy Research, Paracelsus Medical Universtity Salzburg, Suicide Prevention Research Program, Paracelsus Medical Universtity Salzburg

References & Publications (5)

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. — View Citation

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. — View Citation

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. — View Citation

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. — View Citation

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. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Hopelessness	Summary score BHS (Beck Hopelessness Scale; 20 items)	18 weeks (3 time points)	No
Secondary	Exercise capacity	(Watts/kg)	18 weeks (3 time points)	No
Secondary	Depression	BDI-2 summary score (Beck depression inventory 2, 21 items)	18 weeks (3 time points)	Yes
Secondary	Anxiety	Summary score BAI (Beck anxiety inventory, 21 items)	18 weeks (3 time points)	No
Secondary	Suicide ideation	Summary score BSI (Beck suicide ideation inventory, 21 items)	18 weeks (3 time points)	No
Secondary	Quality of life	PLC (Profil der Lebensqualität Chronisch Kranker, 6 subscales: Leistungsvermögen, Genuß- und Entspannungsfähigkeit, Positive Stimmung, Negative Stimmung, Kontaktvermögen, Zugehörigkeitsgefühl)	18 weeks (3 time points)	No
Secondary	Blood parameters of inflammation	Interleukin 1 beta, Interleukin 2, Interleukin 6, Interferon gamma, Interleukin 10, Interleukin 17;	18 weeks (3 time points)	No
Secondary	suicide risk factors	Several items: Grundwert aus dem Test zur existentiellen Motivation (Eckhard, 2000, 2 items); Burdensomeness and Connectedness (Interpersonal needs questionnaire, Joiner 2005, 3 items); Chronic Suicidality (Paris, 2007, 2 items); Suicidal Status Form (SSF, Jobes, 2006, 9 items); Emotionalität und Problembelastung (SNS-subscala, Schiepek, 9 items); Alcohol consumption (1 item); Sleep quality (1 item); Social support (F-SozU-S54, 4 items); Physical activity (IPAQ-short, 2 items); Environmental perception (3 items); Religiousness and spirituality (2 items)	18 weeks (daily)	No
Secondary	health-related physical activity	IPAQ short version (International physical activity questionnaire, 2002)	18 weeks (3 time points)	No