None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study will compare walk-and-talk therapy to conventional indoor therapy for helping men with low mood. While conventional indoor therapy is effective, some men may find it challenging to engage in. Walk-and-talk therapy offers an alternative and more informal setting, which may make it easier for some men to open up and benefit from therapy. By comparing these two approaches, the study aims to discover which one works better for improving mood in men. We expect that participation in either arm will be beneficial for men, but hypothesise that men in the walk-and-talk condition will report greater reductions in overall psychological distress at the conclusion of therapy. Ultimately, the findings could lead to more personalised and effective treatment options for men experiencing low mood.
Interventions
Arm 1: Walk-and-Talk Psychotherapy
Intervention description and dose: Participants in the 'walk-and-talk' arm will receive 10 x 60 minute outdoor walking psychotherapy sessions over 20 weeks (one session per fortnight, 10 hours total contact). In the sessions, the therapist will follow a non-specific supportive counselling approach using counselling micro-skills to address important issues identified by the participant (e.g., emotional concerns, relationship issues, work stressors). The session
Arm 1: Walk-and-Talk Psychotherapy Intervention description and dose: Participants in the 'walk-and-talk' arm will receive 10 x 60 minute outdoor walking psychotherapy sessions over 20 weeks (one session per fortnight, 10 hours total contact). In the sessions, the therapist will follow a non-specific supportive counselling approach using counselling micro-skills to address important issues identified by the participant (e.g., emotional concerns, relationship issues, work stressors). The sessions will take place while walking along a pre-determined route nearby the University of Newcastle's Callaghan Campus Psychology Clinic. Psychologists: The sessions will be delivered by provisional or fully registered psychologists. To prevent confounding, Psychologists will be allocated clients from each study arm (but each client will have the same psychologist for the whole study). Mode: Face-to-face, outdoor walking therapy. Procedures: After booking in for their sessions at the beginning of the trial, participants will receive a text message reminder the day before each session. If they are unable to attend, they will have an opportunity to reschedule their session for an alternate time where possible. Materials: If needed, participants and psychologists will have access to insect repellant plus ponchos and/or umbrellas for use in mild wet weather. Neither group will receive informational materials during the study. Location: University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus. Treatment adherence and fidelity: Psychologists will keep a session log documenting participant attendance (Y/N), whether the session could be delivered as intended (i.e., walking outside), and whether there were any adverse events during the session (using the Unwanted Events and Adverse Treatment Reaction Checklist).
Sponsors
The University of Newcastle
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Male
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1) identify as male 2) be aged 18-70 years 3) have experienced at least mild depressive symptoms in the two weeks prior (represented by a score >= 5 on the validated 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ-9).
Exclusion criteria
1) Started a new anti-depressant medication, or changed medication dose, in the 4 weeks prior to baseline testing 2) Started receiving therapy/counselling, or changed existing therapy/counselling arrangements, in the 4 weeks prior to baseline testing 3) Unable to speak, read, or understand English 4) Unable to walk for one hour 5) Planning to relocate during the study 6) Unwilling to be randomised 7) Not available to attend therapy in one of the available timeslots 8) Significant risk of suicide (e.g., reporting current plan), determined after psychologist consultation for any men reporting current thoughts of suicide or self-harm in screener. 9) No access to an internet connected smart-phone, tablet, or computer to complete surveys Men who report any health concerns in a pre-exercise screener (e.g., recent heart attack or stroke) will be required to provide a medical clearance from their general practitioner to participate. We will recruit =30% of participants from areas of low socio-economic status. Men are considered to be living in areas of low socio-economic status if their postcode is ranked in the most disadvantaged 30% of suburbs in NSW, based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (with the remainder living in areas of middle to high socio-economic status). Within each cohort, at least 15 of the 50 participants must be living in areas of low socio-economic status (30%). Men living in areas of middle to high socio-economic status may be ineligible for the study to due to this cap.
Outcome results
None listed