At-home exercise may help reduce depression symptoms, burnout, and absenteeism in healthcare workers, according to a new study.
The randomized clinical trial followed 288 healthcare workers over 12 weeks and found a reduction in depressive symptoms among participants who exercised for 80 minutes per week with an application-based program. Adherence to the program decreased to 23% of participants by the end of the study, however.
When combined with institutional support, “this is one solution that an individual can take to support themselves a little bit better,” study author Eli Puterman, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Health and associate professor of kinesiology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, told Medscape Medical News.
Improved Mental Health
During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers faced many new challenges and stressors. Concern about burnout and absenteeism among health workers also rose during this period and motivated the study. The pandemic likely exacerbated and revealed the extent of mental health concerns in the workforce, said Puterman.
“There was already a lot of burnout. There was a lot of stress, a lot of sick leave. I think the pandemic really brought these issues to light, and it just made them worse as well,” he added. The study participants had notably higher baseline depression scores than the prepandemic averages.
Between April and July 2022, the investigators recruited nearly 300 healthcare workers with low activity levels from an urban healthcare organization in British Columbia. They assigned participants to an intervention or control group for the 12-week study. The intervention group was asked to complete four 20-minute exercise sessions each week using apps that guided users in yoga, running, barre, and body weight interval training. The control group was placed on a wait list and received the apps at the end of the study.
The study population was racially and ethnically diverse, and there was a greater level of participation from nurses, who constitute a large part of the workforce. Roughly 85% of participants were women.
By the end of the 12 weeks, the investigators found a small to medium reduction in depressive symptoms (effect size [ES], −0.41), measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Smaller, but still significant, effects were seen as early as 4 weeks into the study.
The investigators also found significant improvements among participants following the exercise program in symptoms of burnout, including cynicism (ES, −0.33) and emotional exhaustion (ES, −0.39), as well as absenteeism (r = 0.15).
Application-Based
The investigators designed the study with an at-home, application-based program through the Down Dog suite of exercise apps. This approach provided a low-cost option that was convenient during the height of the pandemic when gyms and other exercise facilities were closed.
