OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of a 12-week exercise programme in addition to usual care for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: An assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted among 81 participants with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of primary PTSD. Participants were recruited after admission to an in-patient programme at a private hospital. Participants were randomized to receive either usual care (n = 42), or exercise in addition to usual care (n = 39). The exercise intervention involved three, 30-min resistance-training sessions/week and a pedometer-based walking programme. Usual care involved psychotherapy, pharmaceutical interventions, and group therapy. Primary outcome was PTSD symptoms assessed via the PTSD checklist-civilian version (PCL-C). Secondary outcomes included symptoms of depression, anthropometry, physical activity, mobility, strength, and sleep quality. RESULTS: Participants had a mean (SD) age of 47.8 years (12.1), 84% male. PTSD symptoms in the intervention group significantly reduced compared with the usual care group (mean difference = -5.4, 95% CI -10.5 to -0.3, P = 0.04, n = 58). There were significant between-group differences at follow-up for depressive symptoms, waist circumference, sleep quality, and sedentary time. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first evidence that an exercise intervention is associated with reduced PTSD and depressive symptoms, reduced waist circumference, and improved sleep quality.
a1600-0447 (Electronic)