Exercises That Reduces Depression - Research Proposal Example

Supervisor A research proposal on whether Exercise Reduce Depression November, 2007 This study will analyze whether major depression, which is characterized by a persistent sad mood which is constant and interferes with the ability to lead a productive and enjoyable life, is reduced by exercising. It is estimated that, one of every three grown up adults has at some time in life suffered depression. To analyze this, data will be collected for about a 200 adults, both men and women without bias, who have are depressed and undergoing some exercises. The data will be analyzed using SPSS version 12. Frequencies cross tabulations and chi-square tests will be used to determine if there is any significant relationship in the numbers of those that have been affected at 95% level of significance. Table of Contents Statement of the problem Every body will tell you that he/she has encountered depression in his/her life. This is so because genetics play an important part in depression and can run in families for generations. Also, things like tough financial problems, the breaking up of a relationship or marriage, the death of a loved one can bring on depression. Further, you can become depressed after substantial changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, getting married among many others (Keith, S 2007). According to him further, serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer and HIV can have a huge contribution to depression due to physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression often makes medical conditions worse since it weakens the immune system and can make pain hard to withstand. In some cases as Keith, S (2007) puts it, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions. In addition, soldiers in war combat zones have been involved in registration duties which involve handling and transporting human remains in support of military combat operations. Also, they recover bodies and body parts and match body parts to bodies. Identification of remains including fingerprinting and transporting dead bodies from the death scene to departure points. These among many others expose the soldiers to hard conditions of work thus rendering them afterthoughts once they leave the battle fields which to a greater extend causes depression. Lastly, some forms of psychological disorders like anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse often appear along with depression. Thus, it is expected that every living human being has had at one time experienced it though at different levels. Review of the literature According to Donna, S. H (2005), jumping on treadmill is not only good for ones health, but also it significantly help reduce depression. To him, a first study to look into exercise alone in treating mild and moderate depression in adults aged 20 to 45 showed that depressive symptoms were reduced by about 50 percent in individuals who participated in 30 minute aerobic exercise sessions three to five times a week.                                             Further according to him, another study was done by Dr. Madhukar, T in 2001 and included 80 people randomly placed into five groups. Two groups participated in moderately intense aerobics consistent with public health recommendations. One of the groups exercised three days a week and the other five days. Another two groups participated in lower intensity aerobics for three days and five days per week. The last group did stretching flexibility exercises 15 to 20 minutes three days per week. According to him, the findings were that, individuals who participated in moderately aerobics, such as exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle for three or five days per week experienced a decrease in depressive symptoms by an average of 47 percent after 12 weeks. Further, those in the low intensity exercise groups showed a 30 percent reduction in symptoms, while those in the last group averaged a 29 percent decline (Donna, S. H 2005). It is estimated that, 23 percent of individuals with clinical depression seek treatment for the mental illness but only 10 percent receive adequate treatment. To Chris, R. (1992), adults forget about exercise when suffering from depression since they view it as a social misgiving which should not be exposed a lot. Wayne emphasizes that, exercising daily and sending more oxygen to your brain cells reduces the effects and the strength of depression in individuals. Further according to him, the result of exercise improves the subject’s health as well as his/her attitude. Melissa, W. et al. (2007) says that, whether you have got the blues, major depression or any form of psychological stress, the sweating and heart pounding from exercise can have significant benefits. According to him, an exercise program can produce a real decline in depression similar to that seen in antidepressant medications. To him, exercise is not a replacement for treatment prescribed by a doctor, but it might help and that its side effects, more energy, better health and looking good, cannot hurt. Exercise is not a cure for depression but its psychological and physical benefits can improve your symptoms. Increasing physical activity is a positive strategy that helps manage depression and anxiety. According to Chris, R. (1992), exercise has long been touted as a way to maintain physical fitness and help prevent high blood pressure but a growing volume of research shows that exercise can also help improve symptoms of certain mental health conditions which include depression and anxiety. Exercise may also help prevent a relapse after treatment for depression or anxiety. Research according to Chris, R. (1992) suggests that, it may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to have a significantly improvement in depression symptoms. According to Donna, S. H (2005), some evidence suggests that exercise raises the levels of certain mood enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise also release muscle tension, help you sleep better and reduce levels of the stress hormones (Donna, S. H 2005). Further according to him, exercise increases body temperature which has calming effects. All of these changes in the mind and body improve symptoms such as sadness, anxiety, irritability, stress, fatigue, anger, self-doubt and hopelessness. In addition, exercise raises the level of confidence. Being physically active gives one a sense of accomplishment. Exercise can also make you feel better about your appearance and your self worth. Also, exercising avoids many distractions. For example, when one is depressed, it is easy to dwell on how badly he/she feels. Dwelling interferes with the ability to problem solve and cope in a healthy way. It can also make depression more severe and longer lasting. Exercise can shift the focus away from unpleasant thoughts to something more pleasant such as your surroundings or the music you enjoy listening to while you exercise (Kerry, A et al. 2000). Further, exercising in groups brings about Interactions since depression and anxiety leads to isolation. Exercise may give the chance to meet or socialize with others even if it is just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood. Methodology Significance of the study Numerous effective treatments for depression are available but many people do not seek treatment because of the negative social stigma still associated with the disease. Thus, exercise offers a viable treatment alternative since it can be recommended for many individuals at one time. Sample and Procedure Data will be collected for about 200 (n=200) randomly. The sample will be collected from people who have been diagnosed to be having depression and their behaviours will be recorded. Then they will be exposed to regular exercises and their behaviour changes will be recorded against those before the exercises. The 200 subjects will be sub-divided into three groups. One group will have exercises trice in a week for about ten weeks and their levels will be recorded each week. The second will exercise five times per week and their levels will also be recorded each week. The third will exercise throughout the week and the same as above will happen Definition of Terms During the course of this study the following terms will be used according to the definitions given below. A subject will be a participant whose data will be collected during the study. Assumptions Several assumptions will be made about the target population, the construction and administration of the fact sheet, and the data that will be collected for this study. The first set of assumptions will be related to the target population. First, it will be assumed that they will generally represent all those that took part in different combats. The second set of assumptions will be related to the construction and administration of the instrument. The researcher will assume that the set of items that will address the research questions will have adequate face validity and test reliability. Further, they would be relatively free from any bias, and could be incorporated into an instrument that would exhibit strong psychometric properties. It will be assumed that an adequate number of subjects will have the required number of important aspects needed to answer the relevant questions. The third set of assumptions will relate to the data. Although the researcher will be aware of the limitations that are related to the sample population and the instrument, it will be assumed that a worthwhile set of conclusions will be drawn from data that will be collected. Moreover, it will be assumed that the data that will be collected will have relevance to the kind of depression experiences from all walks of life. Limitations Although extra care will be exercised to the fullest, there is a sets of limitations associated with this study. First, the generalizability of the conclusions of this study will be limited because, for a variety of reasons, only a small percentage of the population of the depressed will be sampled. The secondly set of limitations will be related to the instrument. Although preliminary field testing of the instrument will be conducted and reliability and validity scores obtained, the fact sheet has not yet been subjected to rigorous and extensive testing in a variety of situations. Restrictions and Limitations No restrictions will be placed on the subjects whose data will be used other than that he/she must have been diagnosed with depression and that he or she will be required to undergo some exercises on daily basis. They will be required to be physically present at the time the study and no sheets will be mailed to the potential subjects and no electronic means of submitting the sheets will be available. Any fact sheet that will have at least four items completed will be included in the final data analysis. Ethical Considerations First, the protection of individual information from any harm will be a high priority. The safety procedures and protocols that are outlined for any scientific research will be followed to the latter. Second, as the worth of the data is often determined by the quality of the instrument and the procedure which is used during the study, the researcher will try to meet the highest standards of research study. Among the steps that will be taken to minimize bias will be convening an expert’s panel, testing the instrument, and standardizing the procedures. In addition, the researcher will carefully follow the detailed plan as outlined in order to develop an instrument that will be appropriate for the objectives of the study. Third, in order to enhance the scientific rigor of this study the researcher will execute the research plan and methodology according to the highest standards of research. By adhering to the plan, it will be possible to capture high quality data and avoid low aspects that might compromise the integrity of the results. Finally, there are a variety of threats to the worth of the study that might come from deviations from accepted procedures and protocols for handling and analyzing the data. The researcher will follow the generally accepted standards and practices for statistical treatment of the data. Analysis The data will be analyzed using SPSS version 12. Frequencies and cross tabulations will be used to determine if there is any significant relationship in the numbers of those that have been affected at 95% level of significance. In addition, graphs and charts will be used to show clearly the numbers o those that have been affected. Table 1: work schedule Item\Period W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 Selecting the sample from the population               Setting experts panel                         Preparing the fact sheet                 Inputting data in fact sheet                         Inputting data into computer                         Data cleaning               Data analysis                         Report writing                         Works cited Chris, R. (1992). Depression in marriage: what is the best treatment? Journal of Workplace Learning; 4 (2), 1992 pp. 34-56 Donna, S (2005). Exercise helps reduce symptoms of depression. Ohio: Akron University Press Keith, S (2007). Depression: How to handle it. Nairobi: General Printers, P.56 Kerry, A. et al. (2000). Quality issues in the treatment of depression in general practice. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance. 13 (1), 2000 pp. 34-42. Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/09526860010311071 Melissa, W. et al. (2007). Psychiatry SHOs should consider psychological treatment for depression. Clinical Governance: An International Journal; 12 (3), 2007, pp. 150-155. Available at http://www.emerald.com Read More