Journal of Psychiatry

Intervention with physical activity in the elderly living in the community: Partial results of a randomized clinical trial

Annual Congress on Mental Health

July 09-11, 2018 | Paris, France

Clovis Alexandrino da Silva Junior Ribeiz Salma, Frigerio Maria Beatriz, Bassolli Lucas, Alves Tania, Bottino Cassio (in memoriam) and Busatto Geraldo

University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
NGO Envelhecer Sorrindo, Brazil

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

Introduction: Physical activity has been pointed out as a possible preventive measure of depression in the elderly, and there seems to be an inverse relationship between them. Objectives: Using a sample of elderly subjects who had clinically significant depressive symptoms but did not fulfill diagnosis for major depression, to compare the effectiveness of a physical activity intervention with a control intervention (usual care). Method: This study is an arm of a larger study, in which 2,673 elderly were evaluated in the community, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Subjects were randomized to the physical activity group or to the control group using the RedCap randomization tool, and those in the first group received a step-by-step intervention program, with up to four steps lasting three months each. The outcome measure was to score less than 13 on the CES-D scale. The statistical analyses were performed using Pearson Chisquare test and all analysis was performed under intention-to-treat principles. Results: We planned a sample size of 70 elderly (35 for each group). Sixty elderly have already been recruited and randomized-29 of them for the physical activity group and 31 for the usual care group. Forty-nine subjects have ended their participation. Of these, six gave up participating in the studyâ??three of the control group and three of the physical activity group. Eight subjectssix from the control group and two from the physical activity group-progressed to major depression and were referred to receive specialized treatment (p=0.213). Thirty-two individuals reached the outcome (16 in the control group and 16 in the physical activity group). Only two subjects completed the follow-up period and maintained sustained depressive symptoms. Approximately 55% of remission occurred in the physical activity group and 52% in the control group (p=0.782). Conclusion: These are partial results of a randomized clinical trial, which needs to be finalized and deeply analyzed. Although we found no statistically significant differences, subjects who received physical activity intervention have less often developed major depression compared to the control group.

Biography :

Clovis Alexandrino da Silva Junior graduated in Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Fundação do ABC, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2003), and underwent Medical Residency in Psychiatry at the same institution. He got his Doctorate degree from the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (2012). Currently, he is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Old Age Research Group (PROTER) from the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo. He was also Coordinator of the Psychiatric Emergencies Service of the Santo André Hospital Center, Research Doctor and Collaborator of the Disciplines of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology at the Faculty of Medicine of Fundação do ABC and Medical Researcher at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo. He holds a specialist title in Psychiatry and professional competence certificate in Psychogeriatric obtained from the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry.

E-mail: alexandrinojr@yahoo.com.br