Miles for Mental Health

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Depressive and Anxiety Disorders

In brief

Common mental health disorders, like anxiety and depression, are widespread among the American population. The prevalence of mental health disorders among adults continues has consistently increased from previous decades and is now a major public health challenge. Data shows that 1 in 5 Americans regularly report feeling depressed. Therapy is supported as an effective means of treating mental anxiety and depression, and lessening their severity. But therapy is expensive and not always covered by insurance. It is well known that exercise provides physiological and psychological benefits to those suffering from mental health disorders. However, prescribing and monitoring exercise can be challenging, if not impossible, for mental health practitioners, and individuals often are unsure how to begin an exercise program on their own. Studies that have investigated the impact on exercise on mental health have delivered exercise using a traditional clinical trial exercise structure, where exercise is completed by the client/patient under the supervision of a professional. This structure, while beneficial, does not always transfer well to real-world settings. Working one-on-one with an exercise professional poses financial and scheduling barriers for most. Few, if any, studies have used group exercise and group therapy to address mental health concerns. This study aims to combine cardiovascular exercise with group therapy to investigate the impact of cardiovascular fitness on mental health outcomes among Rural dwelling adults living with generalized anxiety and/or depressive disorders.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07541443

Run by

Emporia State University

People needed

20

Starts

2026-07-27

Expected to finish

2026-12-31

Last updated by the study team

2026-07-20

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 18+ years
• Generalized anxiety and/or depressive disorder diagnosis
• Able to exercise without use of ambulatory device
• Willing and able to attend a minimum of 2 group exercise sessions weekly

You may not qualify if…

• Myocardial infarction or symptoms of coronary artery disease in the last 2yrs
• Uncontrolled hypertension within the last 6 months
• Cancer in the last 2yrs (except non-metastatic basal or squamous cell carcinoma)
• Significant pain or musculoskeletal disorder that would prohibit participation in an exercise program
• Possible/probably dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) base on adjudication
• Physician concern regarding safety or completion of the study

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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