Adult inpatient alcoholics: physical exercise as a treatment intervention.
This study examined the usefulness of physical exercise as a treatment intervention to decrease depression and anxiety in adult inpatient alcoholics while increasing aerobic capacity and self-concept. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Astrand-Rhyming bicycle-ergometer were administered to a treatment and a control group on admission to and again at discharge from a 28-day inpatient treatment program. Control group data were gathered prior to initiating the exercise program. The exercise program consisted of walking or jogging 3 days a week and was designed to meet the American College of Sports Medicine's minimum requirements for a graded exercise program. Results indicated that there were significant differences on posttest scores between the control and exercise groups on state anxiety, trait anxiety and depression, but not on self-concept or aerobic capacity. The usefulness of physical exercise as a treatment intervention as well as the implication for research are discussed.
Palmer
J
J
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Alcohol and Drug Defense Program, Raleigh 27603-1712.
Vacc
N
N
Epstein
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011581:Psychological Tests