Exercise augmentation compared with usual care for post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of a 12-week exercise programme in addition to usual care for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: An assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted among 81 participants with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of primary PTSD. Participants were recruited after admission to an in-patient programme at a private hospital. Participants were randomized to receive either usual care (n=42), or exercise in addition to usual care (n=39). The exercise intervention involved three, 30-min resistance-training sessions/week and a pedometer-based walking programme. Usual care involved psychotherapy, pharmaceutical interventions, and group therapy. Primary outcome was PTSD symptoms assessed via the PTSD checklist-civilian version (PCL-C). Secondary outcomes included symptoms of depression, anthropometry, physical activity, mobility, strength, and sleep quality. RESULTS: Participants had a mean (SD) age of 47.8 years (12.1), 84% male. PTSD symptoms in the intervention group significantly reduced compared with the usual care group (mean difference=-5.4, 95% CI -10.5 to -0.3, P=0.04, n=58). There were significant between-group differences at follow-up for depressive symptoms, waist circumference, sleep quality, and sedentary time. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first evidence that an exercise intervention is associated with reduced PTSD and depressive symptoms, reduced waist circumference, and improved sleep quality.
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In the same inpatient study, there were no between-group differences in indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by the 6-min walk test, resting heart rate, and blood pressure.
“The reductions in PTSD symptomatology occurred despite the finding that there were no between-group differences in indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by the 6-min walk test, resting heart rate, and blood pressure.”
From Exercise Intervention in PTSD: A Narrative Review and Rationale for Implementation (2019) · cites this paper as [68]
In inpatients with PTSD, individuals in a 12-week exercise program had significantly greater symptom reduction on the PCL-C compared to the care-as-usual group.
“Individuals in the exercise group had significantly greater symptom reduction on a self-report measure of PTSD (PCL-C; mean difference = −5.4, 95% CI −10.5 to −0.3, p = 0.04)”
From Exercise Intervention in PTSD: A Narrative Review and Rationale for Implementation (2019) · cites this paper as [68]
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References 47 · Cited by 182
- Authors
- Rosenbaum, S., Sherrington, C., & Tiedemann, A.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Rosenbaum, S.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 131
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 350-359
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W2065955229
- Cited by
- 182
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 10
- FWCI
- 11.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- National Medical Research Council
- Health and Medical Research Fund
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Traumatic Brain Injury Research
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, exercise intervention, resistance training, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, waist circumference, sedentary time, psychiatric inpatient care, physical activity
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy, Group, Psychotropic Drugs, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Walking, Treatment Outcome, Dyssomnias, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Resistance Training
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