A randomized controlled trial of surf and hike therapy for U.S. active duty service members with major depressive disorder

  • Walter, K. H., Otis, N. P., Ray, T. N., Glassman, L. H., Beltran, J. L., … Michalewicz-Kragh, B. (2023). A randomized controlled trial of surf and hike therapy for U.S. active duty service members with major depressive disorder. BMC Psychiatry, 23, Article 109. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04452-7
  • This randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of surf therapy, a water activity-based intervention, for active-duty Service members diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). 96 Service members were randomly assigned to either 6 weekly sessions of surf therapy (n = 48) or the hike therapy control (n = 48). Before the intervention, Service members reported their demographic characteristics and whether they were receiving psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy. Depressive symptoms were assessed via clinical interviews and self-reports before, after, and 3 months following their respective intervention. Service members also reported their depressive and anxiety symptoms before and after each session. On average, surf therapy and hike therapy participants experienced similar reductions in depressive symptoms up to 3 months after the interventions.

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