800
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

CBT + Exercise vs Treatment as Usual in Treating Anxiety and Depression in University Students: A Pilot Study

, , , &
Pages 311-327 | Published online: 20 Feb 2023
 

ABSTRACT

The current pilot study tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a combined group cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise intervention (CBT+E), as compared to treatment as usual (TAU) for managing anxiety and mood symptoms in university students. Participants were 16 undergraduate students with at least mild anxiety, depression, or stress symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to group CBT+E or TAU. CBT+E ran for seven weeks with group sessions held twice weekly. The first weekly session consisted of group CBT followed by 30 minutes of running and the second weekly session consisted of only group running. Findings suggest that the group CBT+E intervention is feasible in terms of retention and participation, but that recruitment strategies need to be improved. Suggestions to improve recruitment in future research are provided. Preliminary efficacy data show positive trends suggesting further pursuit of this type of intervention is important.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.