Mindfulness plus physical activity reduces emotion dysregulation and insomnia severity among people with major depression

BACKGROUND: As the disorder progresses, patients with depression suffer from decreased emotional stability, cognitive control and motivation. In the present study, we examined the effectiveness of three interventions on emotion dysregulation and insomnia severity: 1) mindfulness; 2) physical activity, and 3) mindfulness plus physical activity. METHOD: A total of 50 participants (mean age 33.21 ± 5.72 SD, 59% females) with major depression were randomly assigned to one of the three study conditions. Emotional dysregulation and insomnia severity were assessed at baseline, eight weeks later at study completion, and 4 weeks after that at follow-up. RESULTS: Emotion regulation and sleep quality improved over time from baseline to study completion and to follow-up. Compared to the mindfulness and physical activity alone conditions, the mindfulness plus physical activity condition led to higher emotion regulation and sleep quality. CONCLUSION: The combination of physical activity and mindfulness seems to have a beneficial effect on sleep quality and emotion regulation in those with major depression disorder and could be a valuable treatment strategy.