The Effects of Regular Mountain Hiking on Hopelessness in Chronically Suicidal Patients (MOHS2010)

Paracelsus Medical University (PMU)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Hopelessness; Suicide

Treatments: Other: Mountain hiking in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01152086

Hiking2010

Details and patient eligibility

About

Suicide is a major public health issue with estimated 1 million deaths worldwide within the last year. Physical activity and nature recreation might be protective factors against suicidal behaviour, suicidal ideation and contributing factors like depression and hopelessness.

In this randomized controlled cross-over intervention study the investigators aim to investigate the physical and psychological effects of a 9 weeks hiking program in chronically suicidal patients. The investigators aim to enroll 24 patients suffering from chronic suicidality, defined as at least one attempted suicide and a hopelessness greater than 26 in Beck's Hopelessness Scale summary score. At baseline patients will undergo pre-tests including questionnaires to assess suicide ideation, hopelessness, depression, anxiety, quality of life and health-related physical activity, physiological investigations to assess exercise capacity and blood investigations. Randomly assigned 12 patients start with the 9 weeks supervised mountain hiking program followed by a 9-week-period without supervised exercise program. The other 12 patients start with 9 weeks without supervised exercise program followed by a 9-week-period of supervised mountain hiking program. The mountain hiking program includes 2 training sessions per week with a duration of 3 hours per session. The hiking intervention will be performed within 70-85% of heart rate reserve and gymnastics for body and nature perception, mobilisation and stretching will enrich the training program. Further investigations including questionnaire-assessments, assessment of exercise capacity and blood investigations will be scheduled 9 and 18 weeks after the study start. In addition a daily assessment of several suicide risk-factors based on a web-based questionnaire will be done over the full study period. Within this mountain hiking program the investigators hope to reduce hopelessness in chronically suicidal patients.

Enrollment: 24 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Chronically suicidal defined as:

• at least one attempted suicide
• BHS summary scale > 26

Exclusion criteria

• Coronary heart disease defined by angina pectoris or relevant ST-changes during exercise or myocardial infarction in the last 6 months
• not oriented in time and space
• demented
• acute psychotic
• cognitively impaired
• insufficient german language skills

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

24 participants in 2 patient groups

Hiking first

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group first starts with mountain hiking over 9 weeks followed by a 9 weeks control period.

Treatment:

Other: Mountain hiking in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps

Control first

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group first starts with the control period (9 weeks) followed by the 9 weeks mountain hiking intervention.

Treatment:

Other: Mountain hiking in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps