title: Effectiveness of hygienic-dietary recommendations as enhancers of antidepressant treatment in patients with depression: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years some studies have been published supporting the efficacy of light exposure, physical activity, sleep control and a Mediterranean diet pattern on the improvement or prevention of depression. However, to our knowledge, there have been no studies using all these measures together as an adjuvant antidepressant strategy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, randomized, controlled, two arm-parallel, clinical trial. Eighty depressed patients undergoing standard antidepressant treatment will be advised to follow four additional hygienic-dietary recommendations about exercise, diet, sunlight exposure and sleep. Outcome measures will be assessed before and after the 6 month intervention period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We expect the patients in the active recommendations group to experience a greater improvement in their depressive symptoms. If so, this would be a great support for doctors who might systematically recommend these simple and costless measures, especially in primary care.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN59506583.
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), Red de Investigación en Actividades Preventivas y Promoción de la Salud (redIAPP), Spain. mauro.garcia@uib.es
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia-Toro
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ibarra
authors.forename: Margalida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gili
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salva
authors.forename: Saray
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monzón
authors.forename: Margalida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vives
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia-Campayo
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012107:Research Design; D012890:Sleep; D013472:Sunlight