Effects of a high-intensity functional exercise programme on depressive symptoms and psychological well-being among older people living in residential care facilities: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of a high-intensity functional exercise programme on depressive symptoms and psychological well-being among older people dependent in activities of daily living (ADL) and living in residential care facilities.


METHODS
Cluster-randomized controlled study. Participants were 191 older people, aged 65-100, dependent in ADL and with Mini Mental State Examination scores between 10 and 30. One-hundred (52%) of the participants had a diagnosed dementia disorder. A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme and a control activity were performed in groups. Sessions were held five times over each two week period for three months, a total of 29 times. The outcome measures, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) were blindly assessed at baseline, three and six months.


RESULTS
At baseline, mean +/- SD (range) for GDS was 4.4 +/- 3.2 (0-14), and for PGCMS 11.0 +/- 3.5 (2-17). There were no significant differences in GDS or PGCMS between the exercise and the control group at the three and six month follow-ups in the total sample. Among people with dementia, there was a between-group difference at three months in PGCMS scores in favour of the exercise group.


CONCLUSIONS
A high-intensity functional exercise programme seems generally not to influence depressive symptoms or psychological well-being among older people dependent in ADL and living in residential care facilities. An individualized and multifactorial intervention may be needed in this group. However, an exercise programme as a single intervention may have a short-term effect on well-being among people with dementia.
Conradsson
Mia
M
Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden. mia.conradsson@germed.umu.se <mia.conradsson@germed.umu.se>
Littbrand
Håkan
H
Lindelof
Nina
N
Gustafson
Yngve
Y
Rosendahl
Erik
E
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012112:Residential Facilities; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome