Harnessing Exercise Therapy for Enhancing Mental Health in Children: A Study on ۷-Year-Olds with Depressive Symptoms

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercise therapy program in reducing the symptoms of depression in ۷-year-old children with depressive disorder in Qom. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all ۷-year-old female students with symptoms of childhood depression, who were diagnosed with depression by teachers and were referred to counseling centers of the Department of Education in Qom during the academic year ۲۰۲۱. This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. To conduct the research, ۱۲ students with symptoms of depression were selected by purposive sampling method and assigned randomly to experimental and control groups. Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was used to collect data. In this study, the exercise therapy program was designed and implemented based on the three basic needs of this group of children, including a) motor skills, b) motor planning and sequencing, and c) Greenspan motor skills (۲۰). Raw data collected from questionnaires were analyzed by one-way analysis of covariance using SPSS. Results indicate that while the exercise therapy program did not significantly affect depression, self-worth, sleep issues, or school interest, it positively impacted concentration and sense of pleasure.

کلیدواژه ها:

depression ، exercise therapy ، concentration ، sense of pleasure