Effects of physical activity on symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with alcohol use disorder (FitForChange): Secondary outcomes of a randomised controlled trial

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109601Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • This is the first RCT to examine the effects of yoga on symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with AUD.

  • In total, 140 participants with clinician-diagnosed AUD were included (90% retention).

  • Yoga leads to improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms; superior to those associated with usual care.

Abstract

Purpose

To compare the effects of yoga, aerobic exercise, and usual care on anxiety and depressive symptoms in non-treatment seeking adults with AUD.

Method

Parallel, three-group, open-label randomised (1:1:1) controlled trial with blinded follow-up assessment. Non-treatment seeking adults (aged 18–75 years) were recruited via advertisements in a free newspaper in Stockholm, Sweden. All participants had clinician-diagnosed AUD prior to randomisation. This trial excluded those who were physically active, or for whom supervised physical activity was contraindicated. Participants were randomly assigned to 12-weeks of aerobic exercise, yoga, or usual care (telephone counselling). The secondary outcome of interest was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), assessed at baseline and 12-week follow-up. Primary analyses consisted of linear regression models and followed intention-to-treat (ITT) principals.

Results

In total, 140 participants (mean age 53.7 years, SD=11.8) were recruited. Follow-up was completed for 42/45 participants randomised to TAU, 42/49 to aerobic exercise and 43/46 to yoga. ITT analyses included 126 trial participants. There were statistically significant within-group improvements in total HADS in all three intervention groups. Effect sizes for usual care and aerobic exercise were small (Hedges’ g=0.48, 95% CI=0.16, 0.80 and g=0.41, 95% CI=0.09, 0.72, respectively), while yoga was associated with a large treatment effect (g=1.06, 95% CI=0.69, 1.43). There were significant between-group differences in these improvements favouring yoga (B=−2.15, 95% CI=−4.16, −0.15, p = .035) relative to usual care, but no significant differences between yoga and aerobic exercise. No injuries were reported.

Conclusions

Findings support the recommendation of yoga for non-treatment seeking adults with AUD.

Keywords

Physical activity
Alcohol use disorder
Yoga
Aerobic exercise
Anxiety
Depression
Randomised controlled trial

Data sharing

The protocol for this trial is publicly available. Individual participant data is not available and is in secure storage at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.

Cited by (0)

Trial registration: This trial was prospectively registered with German Clinical Trials in July 2017 (DRKS00012311).