ArticleContemporary clinical trials communications2019
Comparison of surf and hike therapy for active duty service members with major depressive disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of novel interventions in a naturalistic setting.
Article in Contemporary clinical trials communications, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03302611 (A Randomized Controlled Trial of Surf and Hike Therapy for Active-duty Service Members With Major Depressive Disorder), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Surf and Hike Therapy for Active-duty Service Members With Major Depressive Disorder
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Surf therapy for people with mental health disorders: a systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2024Pooled it
- A randomized controlled trial of surf and hike therapy for U.S. active duty service members with major depressive disorder.BMC psychiatry · 2023Trial
- Residual depression symptoms following nature-based exercise therapies among U.S. service members.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Article
- TBI history and psychological symptom improvements following exercise therapies among U.S. service members.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- Wave of change: assessing surf therapy's psychological and physiological benefits for military veterans using wearable technology.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- An integrative review of the physical, mental, and socioeconomic benefits of outdoor hiking.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Many active duty service members suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD). Although traditional treatments exist, alternative approaches may also be effective in treating depressive symptoms. Previous research has shown that physical activity has significant positive effects on depression symptoms in individuals with MDD, and that these benefits may be enhanced when physical activity occurs in a natural environment. Even though physical activity (i.e., hiking, walking) in natural environments has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms, water-based activity occurring in a natural environment (e.g., surfing) may produce even greater improvements in depressive symptoms. We detail an ongoing randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the efficacy of surf therapy and hike therapy with respect to immediate and longer-term psychological, physical, and functional outcomes in active duty service members with MDD. We describe the methodological development of this RCT evaluating novel treatment approaches and discuss considerations for evaluating physical activity interventions in a naturalistic setting.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.