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Sea Swimming for Treatment of Depression and Anxiety

NCT04528485 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 61

Last updated 2021-08-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

There is a developing evidence to suggest that open cold water swimming could have an impact on depression and anxiety:

* anecdotal reports of benefits to mental wellbeing as a result of regular open water bathing
* research suggesting exercise is as effective as medication and talking therapies in the treatment of depression
* ecotherapy (offering therapeutic intervention in nature) has a developing evidence base
* cold water may have an impact on the inflammatory system which has been linked to depression

The aim of this study is to recruit 10 people with mild to moderately severe depression to a sea swimming course, alongside their standard care. The course would involve two groups of 5, participating in eight sea sessions under the guidance and supervision of swim instructors and lifeguards.

The primary aim of the course is to determine the recruitment rate and compliance with the course.

The secondary aims of the course are to determine the impact on mental health through questionnaires for depression (PHQ9), anxiety (GAD7), functioning in daily life (WSAS). The inflammatory marker - C- reactive protein (CRP), will also be measured to monitor the inflammatory process in relation to psychological outcomes and the timeline of the course.

Participants will need to commit to two sessions a week. It is anticipated that participants will need to commit around 2 hours of their time to the study each week.

It would take around ten months from recruitment to follow-up. Participants would be able to leave the study at any time. Participants would engage in routine care alongside the course.

Sea swimming can be a dangerous activity but participants would be well supported, in small groups and would only sea swim in safe conditions. Participants will be asked to report any medical conditions to ensure they could not be adversely effected.

Conditions

  • Depression, Anxiety

Interventions

OTHER

Sea swimming

8 sessions of swimming activities in the sea

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Devon Partnership NHS Trust

    lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

  • C Mark Harper, MBBS · Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2020-07-01
Primary Completion
2021-03-16
Completion
2021-03-16

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04528485 on ClinicalTrials.gov