Depression is a psychological disorder characterized by low mood, lethargy, and a lack of interest in physical activities. According to the WHO, the rate of depression in the U.S. was 31.5% as of October 2021, with the majority of the victims being adults aged between 45 and 55 years (Rana, Dilshad & Ahsan, 2021). Research results penned by these authors indicate a whopping 20.6% of diagnosed victims are aged between 33 and 60 years. This rate has been increasing steadily over the last two decades due to changes in people’s lifestyles fueled by socioeconomic factors and unprecedented recessionary cycles (Raatikainen et al., 2019). Institutions such as the National Institute of Mental Health and Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute have been conducting and funding research studies on the appropriateness of psilocybin medical interventions to curb this disorder. The WHO, on the other hand, has been at the forefront of testing various counseling and cognitive behavioral group therapy models that can be used on depressed adults.
However, there has been little focus on the use of different forms of aerobic exercises to counteract depression, especially among adults above 45 years of age, thus creating a significant research gap (Fossati et al., 2021). In an attempt to bridge the above gap, gauging the basic perspectives on previous depression-related literature, this six-month study will explore the impact of aerobic exercises on the overall mental balance of adults aged 45–55 years. Concurrently, there is a contradiction of results in the study documented by (Lum & Simpson, 2021) titled, “The impact of physical activity on psychological well-being in women aged 45–55 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.” This further necessitates the need for more research in this niche to demystify these confusing aspects.
This research further seeks to confirm critical but overlooked hypotheses (research questions) in preexisting studies, such as:
- Can regular aerobic exercise accrue mental benefits capable of alleviating depression among adults aged 45–55 years?
- What is the role of vigorous exercise in eliminating depressive symptoms in adults?
- Can cognitive behavioral group therapy and the use of antidepressants be replaced by exercise among depressed patients?
Depression affects an individual’s thought processes, feelings, and behaviors towards objects, people, and the surrounding environment. This causes a variety of emotional and physical imbalances (Lee et al., 2021). In addition, some depressed patients shift to a sedentary lifestyle, which is characterized by reduced physical activity, an increased appetite for fast foods, and morbid sleepiness in an attempt to combat their emotional pain. However, this eventually intensifies the problem, leading to other disorders such as obesity and diseases like hypertension (Hu et al., 2020). The victims become demotivated, thus ignoring important routines that could help to keep their weight, blood pressure, and metabolism in check.
When men age, they find it more challenging to burn calories and build muscles due to the decline in levels of testosterone hormone. As these muscles deteriorate, a new layer of fat forms above the groins (Kim et al., 2021). On the other hand, women gain excess weight as a result of decreasing estrogen levels attributed to the inception of menopause. Whereas exercise is widely considered as the most beneficial way to lose excess weight, it has proven effective for improving general body metabolism, mental health, and cardiovascular fitness. According to (Saeed, Cunningham & Bloch, 2019), mild exercises such as biking, hiking, and aerobics accelerate the heartbeat can help to ease depression. The authors further argue that such activities trigger the brain to release serotonin (the hormone responsible for happiness) and endorphins to enhance one’s sense of wellbeing.
Concurrently, the brain cells react by producing enough dopamine to keep the recovered patient motivated every time he completes a task. When answering the three key research questions, this study will adhere to social and ethical issues such as confidentiality and anonymity of participants and their respective results. Practical and theoretical concerns relating to reproducibility and generalizability of findings will be prioritized during and after the six-month course. Results from this study can be used by psychiatrists when assessing the right treatment approach for mild and severely depressed patients. The different tenets of this study, including methodology, purpose statement, and timeline milestones to be followed, form the basis of discussion for this paper.
The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between exercise and depression in male and female adults aged between 45 and 55 years at the Massachusetts Mental Health Clinic.
The study will presume exercise and depression as independent and dependent variables, respectively, whose scores will be measured using the Beck’s Depression Inventory. BDI-II scores within 15–30 will be considered mild while those exceeding 30 will be treated as extreme (Saeed, Cunningham & Bloch, 2019).
- What is the effectiveness of exercise in treating depression for men and women aged 50–55 years at the Massachusetts Mental Health Clinic?
- The hypothesis is that there will be a significant negative correlation between exercise and the depression score from the sample under study.
The study design will incorporate a quantitative inverse correlation (or negative correlation). This implies that, ceteris paribus, an increase in the amount of exercise performed by participants is expected to decrease their depression scores. Conversely, a decrease in exercises activities done will increase their depression scores. In that regard, the two variables, exercise and depression levels, are inversely proportional, and thus correlate negatively.
- Experiment: Participants will be required to participate in 45 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week for six months.
- Observation: Studying the mental and physical changes in participants over the six-month course.
- Data collection: To collect data, a survey will be proposed in which participants answer open-ended questions.
- Documented and recorded: pen, paper, and technology to upload the information.
The data provided by respondents will not be shared with or purchased by any third party so as to guarantee confidentiality (Edwards, 2020). Upon completion of the six-month milestones, results of the study will be forwarded to participants via text messages for convenience purposes (Rana, Dilshad & Ahsan, 2021). On the other hand, participants who may wish to withdraw from the study will have a chance to do so through a direct email to the principal investigator.
Figure 1: Major research milestones.
References
Edwards, J. R. (2020). The peaceful coexistence of ethics and quantitative research. Journal of Business Ethics, 167(1), 31-40.
Fossati, C., Torre, G., Vasta, S., Giombini, A., Quaranta, F., Papalia, R., & Pigozzi, F. (2021). Physical exercise and mental health: The routes of a reciprocal relation.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), 12364.
Hu, M. X., Turner, D., Generaal, E., Bos, D., Ikram, M. K., Ikram, M. A. & Penninx, B. (2020). Exercise interventions for the prevention of depression: a systematic review of meta-analyses.BMC public health, 20(1), 1-11.
Kim, J. S., Choe, J. P., Park, J. H., Yoo, E., & Lee, J. M. (2021). The comparison of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and mental health between early menopausal women and age-matched General middle-aged women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7256.
Lee, J., Gierc, M., Vila-Rodriguez, F., Puterman, E., & Faulkner, G. (2021). Efficacy of exercise combined with standard treatment for depression compared to standard treatment alone: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 1494-1511.
Lum, K. J., & Simpson, E. E. A. (2021). The impact of physical activity on psychological well-being in women aged 45-55 years during the Covid pandemic: A mixed-methods investigation. Maturitas, 153, 19-25.
Raatikainen, I., Mäntyselkä, P., Vanhala, M., Heinonen, A., Koponen, H., Kautiainen, H., & Korniloff, K. (2019). Leisure time physical activity and its relation to psychiatric comorbidities in depression. Findings from Finnish Depression and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults (FDMSA) study. Journal of affective disorders, 259, 150-153.
Rana, J., Dilshad, S., & Ahsan, M. A. (2021). Ethical issues in research.Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy and Governance; Farazmand, A., Ed. 21, 101-112.
Saeed, S. A., Cunningham, K., & Bloch, R. M. (2019). Depression and anxiety disorders: benefits of exercise, yoga, and meditation. American family physician, 99(10), 620-627.