The Benefits of Exercise on Depression in Pediatric Patients Ashley Moore, Caitlin Rohrer, Andrew Rhodes Pennsylvania State University: Harrisburg Problem Statement Implementation Results Conclusion The coordinators of the project implemented staff education and an exercise therapy group on the pediatric inpatient unit at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. Staff education included a pre-test, an educational intervention, and a post-test. The tests consisted of five true/false and multiple choice questions related to the benefits of exercise on depression. The exercise therapy group consisted of assessing the patients’ prior knowledge of the benefits of exercise, providing further education, and demonstrating deep breathing and stretching exercises. Depression can have a profound impact on a child’s quality of life and their physical health. Antidepressants can cause serious side effects such as increased suicidal thoughts and self- harm behaviors (Dopp, Mooney, Armitage, & King, 2012). The purpose of this project is to determine if implementation of movement therapy will improve depressive symptoms in pediatric patients with depression. The reserach collected for this project shows that implementing movement therapy into a child’s daily routine can greatly reduce their depressive symptoms. Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute lacks the space and resources to incorporate exercise into the patients’ plan of care. The coordinators administered the pre-test, educational intervention, and post-test to five staff members on evening shift. Two participants answered one question incorrectly on the pre-test, but all of the participants answered the questions on the post-test correctly after attending the educational intervention. All fifteen patients attended the exercise therapy group. A small number of patients reported being actively involved in a sport and exercising on a daily basis. The majority of clients knew the benefits exercise can have on their depression. They reported exercise can help better their mood, increase their self esteem, increase their energy, and help with sleep. The results obtained from our interventions show that staff, as well as patients at PPI are knowledgeable about the effects that exercise has on depression. Therefore, it would be beneficial to implement a form of exercise therapy into the plan of care while they remain at the facility. Education and guidance about exercise routines should also be provided to the patients, so they can continue with this treatment once they return home. The research suggests that further investigation is warranted to determine the relationship between depression and exercise. More research is especially needed in children and adolescents because decreasing their depression at an early age can save them from multiple health issues later in life. Research has shown that a regular exercise routine can work as effectively as antidepressant medication with fewer side effects. True False 2. Exercise releases ___________, powerful feel good chemicals. hormones endorphins bacteria amino acids 3. Benefits of exercise include: (select all that apply) decreases stress increases self-esteem increases energy cures depression improves sleep 4. To see results, you should exercise for ________ five days a week. 10 minutes 20 minutes 30 minutes 60 minutes 5. Aerobic exercise has been found to produce the most dramatic results. True False d Objectives References Educate clients and staff on benefits of exercise on depression Evaluate clients knowledge about the benefits of exercise on depression Implement exercise therapy Dopp, R.R., Mooney, A.J., Armitage, R., & King, C. (2012). Exercise for adolescents with depressive disorders: a feasibility study. Depression Research and Treatment, 1-9. doi:10.1155/2012/257472