The Effect of Endurance Exercises on Mood Disorders (Depression & Mania) in Male Students of Yasouj, Iran

Abstract

Background & Aim: Mood disorders refer to a category of mental problems which intensively affect the person's mood quality and change his perception of self and the environment. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of an eight-week resistance activity on mood disorders (depression and mania) in secondary education students of Yasouj, Iran. Methods: The present research was a quasi-experimental field study. The statistical population of the research included all male secondary education students of Yasouj city, and among the main population, 854 students were selected using cluster-random sampling. A questionnaire was filled up for by each student. Twenty four of the students showed symptoms of depression or mania. The depressed students randomly set in two groups with 9 samples (case & control) and manic students set in two groups with 3 samples in each group. Two subscales of depression and mania, and Minnesota multiphasic questionnaire (MMPI-A) were used in this study. Having completed the pretest, the experimental group completed a course of endurance exercise for 8 weeks, including three 50-minute sessions per week with intensity of 55 to 65% of maximum consuming energy, while the control group had no physical exercise. Finally, four groups were given post tests. The collected data were analyzed using dependent and independent t-test. Results: A significant difference between the mean score of depression and mania in pretest and posttest of the experimental group was seen. Also there was a significant difference between the mean score of depression of the experimental and control groups after intervention (p

Keywords

• Endurance Exercises
• Depression
• Mania