Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric diagnosis receiving increased attention. Occupational therapists are becoming more involved with this diagnosis, particularly with Vietnam Veterans in Veteran Affairs Hospitals. Aerobic exercise is a treatment which has not been explored with this population. Depression and anxiety are symptoms commonly associated with PTSD. This study sought to determine whether aerobic exercise would reduce overall PTSD symptomatology, including depression and anxiety. Three psychological inventories: The Penn Inventory for PTSD, The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and one physiological inventory: The Queens Step Test for VO2 Max were given to eighteen subjects before and after a four week period. Ten subjects engaged in no exercise, and eight subjects participated in an aerobic exercise program. Results indicate that aerobic exercise has a significant effect on reducing depression and anxiety and a marginal effect on their overall symptomatology.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fiu.edu/oai:digitalcommons.fiu.edu:etd-4046 |
| Date | 10 March 1994 |
| Creators | Davis, Phyllis A. |
| Publisher | FIU Digital Commons |
| Source Sets | Florida International University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
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