Exercise Recovery from Persistent Depression: A Thematic Analysis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exercise Recovery from Persistent Major Depression in a UK Tertiary Care Centre: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of Barriers and Drivers to Participation in a Structured Group Exercise Program
IRAS ID
316497
Contact name
Neil Nixon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 3 days
Research summary
Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and poses a large economic burden in the UK. There is evidence that exercise is beneficial in the management of depression and NICE now recommends group exercise programs as a treatment for people with mild and moderate-severe depression. Research shows that patients with severe depression are less likely to engage in exercise than patients with mild to moderate depression. There is little evidence, however, on the barriers and drivers to participation in such programs experienced by patients with depression; leading to uncertainty in the most effective way to implement these programs. We aim to analyse accounts of patients who have been referred to or participated in the Exercise Recovery Group (ERG), a group exercise program at the Nottingham Specialist Depression Service (NSDS). The NSDS is a tertiary unit where referred patients have suffered moderate-severe, persistent clinical depression. Eligible participants will be patients with persistent major depression who have agreed to referral to the ERG at the NSDS and who are able to provide informed consent. Participants will undergo a one-off 60 minute meeting via MS Teams, including an in-depth semi-structured interview on their experience as well as self-completion questionnaires assessing demographics, depression, anxiety and shame. Transcripts of the interviews will be subject to qualitative thematic analysis addressing questions on barriers and drivers of exercise treatment in depression; and the perceived impact of an exercise group on the individual participating. Themes will be developed to give an account of these questions, supported by anonymised quotes from the transcripts. The questionnaire data (on demographics, depression, anxiety, shame) will be used to characterise the group, in order to help assess directness of the evidence provided for other clinical populations; ultimately helping clinicians to implement exercise groups for depression that are acceptable for patients.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0243
Date of REC Opinion
1 Nov 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion