Impacts of Mindfulness and Physical Activity on Depression [paper]
Date
2019-05
Authors
Monceaux, Julianna
Yepez, Marissa
Ulliman, Jennifer
Parajes, Kristen
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Depression will be the leading cause of disease burden across the world regardless of age, gender, or income. Physical activity and mindfulness are non-pharmacological treatments that have been shown to decrease depressive symptoms. However, research studying the correlation between dispositional mindfulness and physical inactivity on depression is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore health status and healthy behaviors and determine the predictors of depression severity. A non-experimental cross-sectional study was conducted with 179 adult participants. They completed self-reported questionnaires using a web-based or paper-and-pencil survey in two private clinics located in Austin and Corpus Christi, Texas. The study questionnaires included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire- Short Form (FFMQ-SF), and the 4-item Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Descriptive statistics, bivariate Pearson’s correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression procedures were utilized. More than half of the participants (59.2%) had mild to severe depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. The participants also reported an average of 2.8 days and 5.6 days of poor physical and mental health during the past month, respectively. The significant predictors for depression severity were mindfulness (β= -0.45; p <0.001) and sitting minutes per day (β= 0.18; p = 0.005). Providers may consider routine depression screening and implementation of mindfulness-based therapies and physical activity to minimize predictors of depression severity.
Description
A capstone project submitted to the St. David's School of Nursing at Texas State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nursing, May 2019.
Keywords
depression, dispositional mindfulness, physical activity, meditation, health status, Nursing
Citation
Monceaux, J., Yepez, M., & Ulliman, J. (2019). Impacts of mindfulness and physical activity on depression. St. David's School of Nursing, Texas State University.