Tag: Mood and emotional regulation

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Examining the Social and Mental Health Benefits of Virtual and In-Person Physical Activity Intervention Among Postsecondary Students: Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a promising prevention approach for supporting mental health and enhancing social inclusion among postsecondary students. However, it is unclear whether similar outcomes are realized when PA programming is delivered in-person versus virtually. Objective: Using data from a multiphase research project, the purpose of the study was to examine the influence of on-campus PA programming (virtual and in-person delivery) on mental ill health symptoms (ie, anxiety and depression), social inclusion indices (ie, social connectedness, emotional ties, and social relationship quality), and well-being. Three objectives were addressed: (1) to assess pre-post change in symptoms, social inclusion indices, and well-being for virtual and in-person delivery; (2) to evaluate whether outcome change over time differed by delivery mode; and (3) to examine whether change in symptoms and social inclusion indices predicted change in well-being for both delivery modes. Methods: Physically inactive postsecondary students experiencing mental ill health participated in a 6-week structured and supervised PA program. Pre-post intervention data were collected across 3 phases, and the analytical samples included: 1. In-person delivery (n=87; 82%, 69/84 young adults; 86%, 74/86 women; 38%, 33/86 White; 20%, 17/86 Chinese; 86%, 75/87 with mental illness; 2. Virtual delivery (n=62; 69%, 42/61 young adults; 95%, 59/62 women; 34%, 21/62 White; 21%, 13/62 South Asian; 55%, 34/62 with mental illness), and 3. Data from students who received in-person or virtual delivery: (n=92; 67%, 61/91 young adults; 90%, 83/92 women; 32%, 29/92 White; 20%, 18/92 South Asian; 59%, 54/92 with mental illness). Data were analyzed using 2-tailed paired samples tests to address objective 1, a 2 (delivery mode) × 2 (time: pre-post) repeated-measures ANOVA to address objective 2, and hierarchical regression analyses to address objective 3. Results: Both virtual and in-person PA delivery were effective for symptom reduction and social inclusion improvements across all outcomes (<.001), with moderate-to-large effects. There was no significant time × delivery mode (=0.72, ²=0.04, =.60) interaction effect. Change in social inclusion indices explained unique variance in well-being, beyond covariates (gender, mental illness, and ethno-racial identity), and symptom reduction for virtual ( = 0.75, 008001) and in-person ( = 0.72, =0.16, <.001) PA delivery. Conclusions: Online distance learning is increasing across postsecondary settings worldwide, underscoring the need for accessible, technology-enabled mental health prevention interventions. The results provide support for the effectiveness of virtual and in-person PA programming for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, while also enhancing social inclusion indices and overall well-being. Social inclusion indices were also a key contributor to improved well-being, emphasizing the relevance of social factors in both virtual and in-person PA-based mental health prevention strategies for postsecondary students.
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App-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Individuals With Depression (MoodMover): Single-Arm, Pre-Post Proof-of-Concept and Feasibility Study

Background: Depression is a prevalent mental disorder, and it remains one of the leading causes of disability in Canada and globally. Mobile app–based physical activity interventions may offer an effective and accessible treatment option for individuals with depression who cannot or prefer not to access supervised exercise programs. Objective: This study aims to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and proof of concept of a 9-week, theory-guided, app-based physical activity promotion intervention (MoodMover) developed for people with depression. Methods: We conducted a single-arm, pre-post study from November 2024 to May 2025, following the phase IIa: Proof-of-concept and phase IIb: Pilot and Preliminary Testing of the Obesity-Related Behavioural Intervention Trials model. Physically inactive adults who either self-reported a diagnosis of major depressive disorder or reported at least mild depressive symptoms, operationalized as a minimum score of 5 on the Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item, were recruited. The intervention spanned 9 weeks, with the first week serving as a run-in period and including a 15-minute orientation session on the first day. Participants were instructed to use the MoodMover program, delivered via the Pathverse app. Feasibility was assessed based on 4 primary criteria: recruitment, adherence, usability, and retention. Proof-of-concept was evaluated by assessing changes in physical activity behavior and depressive symptoms over the intervention period. Results: From November 2024 to March 2025, 32 of the 51 adults who met eligibility criteria consented to participate in this study, resulting in a recruitment rate of 63%. Twenty-eight participants completed baseline assessments, with a mean age of 39.8 (SD 13.4) years. A total of 21 participants attended the orientation session and received the intervention. Retention, adherence, and usability rates were 57% (16/28), 67% (14/21), and 50% (8/16), respectively. Regression analyses found that age consistently associated with app engagement, usability, and satisfaction. Two-tailed paired tests indicated significant pre-post changes in self-reported moderate to vigorous physical activity and depressive symptoms across the 75%, 85%, and 95% CIs. Among participants with clinically elevated depressive symptoms at baseline (Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item ≥10), 75% (9/12) achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in symptom severity. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that MoodMover holds potential for promoting physical activity behavior among individuals with depression and supporting depression management at scale. However, the feasibility of the tested version remains suboptimal. Necessary modifications (eg, improvements to enhance the accuracy of step tracking) should be implemented and reevaluated before progressing to a more rigorous efficacy trial. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06573125; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06573125
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A Self-Guided Web-Based Transdiagnostic Mental Health Program for People With Intellectual Disability: Single-Arm Trial

Background: People with intellectual disability experience rates of mental illness up to 3 times higher than the general population, yet face significant barriers to care, including limited clinician expertise, diagnostic overshadowing, and exclusion from key mental health services. Electronic mental health interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in the general population and may address these barriers for people with intellectual disability by providing accessible, tailored treatment. Objective: This study examined the ability of Healthy Mind, a self-guided, web-based transdiagnostic mental health program designed specifically for people with borderline to mild intellectual disability, to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve functioning in people with intellectual disability. Methods: In a single-arm uncontrolled design, Australian residents aged ≥16 years with a diagnosis of borderline or mild intellectual disability, and mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression or anxiety on the Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Scale (ADAMS) were recruited online and offered access to Healthy Mind. Assistance from a nominated supporter was optional. Primary outcomes were symptoms of depression and anxiety (ADAMS). Secondary outcomes were psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale [K10]) and functional impairment (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 [WHO-DAS]). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 3 months. In total, 80 participants (mean age 27.8, SD 7 y; n=37, 46% female; n=39, 49% identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) enrolled; 61% (n=49) nominated a supporter. Data were analyzed using multilevel models with random intercepts for participants. Results: No significant changes were found in ADAMS depression or anxiety scores from baseline to postintervention or follow-up. Similarly, no significant effects were found for K10 or WHO-DAS scores, except for an improvement in K10 scores between baseline and 3 months when controlling for cognitive functioning (n=15). Having a supporter was associated with lower baseline distress but did not moderate treatment effects. Engagement with Healthy Mind was low; 42.5% (n=34) did not access the program, and among those who did, the median number of completed modules was 7 (IQR 3-11). Greater module completion was associated with slightly higher WHO-DAS scores post intervention. Conclusions: This trial did not demonstrate significant improvements in mental health or functioning associated with Healthy Mind, likely due to low engagement, reduced statistical power, and the absence of a control group. Nonetheless, the study demonstrates the feasibility of recruiting and retaining people with intellectual disability in fully online trials and highlights the urgent need for strategies to improve engagement, including gamification, personalized content, and integrated social features. Electronic mental health remains a promising avenue for addressing the substantial mental health service gap for people with intellectual disability. Trial Registration: ANZCTR ACTRN12620000113954; https://tinyurl.com/2ecdmde8 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.3390/ijerph18052473
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Neural and autonomic regulation during brief mindfulness and relaxation interventions in clinical populations: a multimodal MEG study protocol

Mental disorders pose a major and growing challenge for health care systems worldwide, marked by persistent treatment gaps and limited access to psychotherapeutic care. Mind–body interventions such as mindfulness and relaxation practices are widely used in clinical contexts as low-threshold strategies to support stress regulation and psychological well-being. Despite their broad application, the mechanisms underlying their acute effects remain insufficiently understood, particularly regarding brain–body interactions. This study protocol describes a prospective multimodal investigation of regulation during brief mindfulness-and relaxation-based interventions in clinical populations (at least n = 15 adults with depression according to SCID-5-CV and at least n = 15 adults with adult ADHD according to SCID-5-CV). Using a standardized within-subject experimental paradigm, magnetoencephalography (MEG) will be combined with electrocardiography (ECG) and respiratory measures to capture fast neural dynamics and autonomic regulation during three randomized auditory conditions: mindfulness (body scan), relaxation (safe place imagery), and an auditory control condition (podcast). Subjective ratings of stress and relaxation will be collected repeatedly across the procedure, complemented by questionnaires characterizing interindividual differences relevant to regulation. Outcome measures will include indices of autonomic regulation derived from cardiac activity and respiration, as well as repeated subjective ratings of stress and relaxation across conditions. Neural measures (MEG) will be used to characterize condition-related brain dynamics and brain–body coupling metrics linking neural oscillations to cardiac and respiratory rhythms. Speech-related measures during auditory guidance and brief speech-production features from post-condition reflections will be included as complementary and exploratory extensions to increase psychotherapy relevance, while accounting for methodological challenges related to overt speech in MEG. By integrating neural, physiological, and subjective measures within a single standardized paradigm, this study protocol aims to advance a mechanistic understanding of brief mind–body interventions in clinically relevant populations. Focusing on dynamic brain– body interactions during stress and regulation, the proposed approach is designed to support transparent and reproducible investigation of regulatory processes that are relevant to psychotherapy-related mind–body approaches, clinical practice, and everyday self-regulation. The findings are expected to inform future translational research and contribute to the development of mechanism-informed and potentially personalized applications of mindfulness-and relaxation-based interventions.Study protocol registrationPreregistration can be found here: https://osf.io/3rhk4/overview.
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GLP-1s May Benefit Mental Health Through Gut–Brain Axis

GLP-1 drugs could act on depression by improving the balance of microorganisms in the intestinal tract, preclinical research suggests.

The findings, in Cell Host & Microbe, suggest extra benefits from this new class of drugs, beyond their metabolic effects on diabetes and obesity.

The GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide appeared have mental health benefits on mice, influencing brain function and behavior and reducing symptoms of depression.

This related to an increase in the abundance in the microbe Lactobacillus delbrueckii, which is known to act positively on neurons relating to stress.

Researcher Yonggui Yuan, PhD, from Southeast University in Jiangsu, China, noted mixed results from previous studies into the antidepressant effects from GLP-1 agonists.

“The prevailing model held that these drugs act directly on GLP-1 receptors in the brain, while our study provides evidence for an alternative pathway,” he said.

Emerging evidence suggests this drug class may exert biological effects beyond GLP receptors, such as reducing neuroinflammation after stroke or protecting against cisplatin-induced kidney injury.

The researchers therefore examined the neuropsychiatric effects of liraglutide and found that it had antidepressant effects that remained in mice deficient in the GLP-1 receptor.

The team identified a pathway independent of the GLP-1 receptor through which liraglutide could alleviate depressive-like behaviors in the animals.

Liraglutide encouraged the growth of L. delbrueckii by improving bacterial biosynthesis of serine and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), two metabolites that occupy pivotal roles in bacterial central metabolism.

PEP serves as a precursor for biosynthesis of amino acids, nucleotides, and cell wall components while the amino acid serine is a key node in one-carbon metabolism and a precursor for glycine, cysteine, and phospholipid synthesis, all essential for rapid bacterial proliferation.

Increasing levels of L. delbrueckii aided the production of diacylglycerol via triacylglycerol lipase.

This provided a precursor by which the animals could synthesize 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) levels, to normalize neuronal activity in emotional brain regions.

Gut-derived 2-AG inhibited stress-induced neuronal hyperactivity in the basolateral amygdala and dorsomedial hypothalamus, revealing a microbiota-endocannabinoid axis for potential use in depression therapy.

“Given the growing clinical use of GLP-1R agonists for metabolic disorders and the high comorbidity between metabolic and psychiatric conditions, understanding these pleiotropic, microbiota-mediated effects has important translational implications,” the authors noted.

“More broadly, the demonstration that a clinically approved metabolic drug can exert neuropsychiatric effects through microbiota-dependent mechanisms opens new avenues for drug repurposing and suggests that the therapeutic potential of existing pharmacological agents may extend far beyond their originally intended targets,” the authors concluded.

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