Depression and physical activity

The lack of physical activity (PA) has deleterious consequences on physical and mental health. People who show symptoms of depression are particularly inactive. However, PA would be effective in reducing symptoms of depression. Several deficits at the level of motivation and action would make the practice of PA laborious for people who present symptoms of depression. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA; Schwarzer, 2008) model would be relevant for improving the skills involved in behavior change. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention based on the HAPA model to promote PA and decrease depressive symptoms in people with mild depressive symptoms.