Project Grant F31MH142037

EXAMINING WHETHER AFFECTIVE MECHANISMS EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION UTILIZING REAL-TIME DATA CAPTURE - PROJECT SUMMARY AS OF 2023, 32.2% OF ADULTS (18 YEARS) REPORTED HAVING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, WITH LESS THAN HALF RECEIVING TREATMENT. AT THE SAME TIME, 46.3% OF ADULTS DO NOT MEET THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES. BOTH POOR MENTAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL INACTIVITY LEAD TO SEVERAL CHRONIC DISEASES AND OVERALL INCREASED MORTALITY. THEREFORE, INTER- VENTIONS ATTENTIVE TO IMPROVING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, ARE NEEDED TO INFORM PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND INTEGRATIVE CARE APPROACHES. THE EXTANT LITERATURE SUGGESTS AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. HOWEVER, ACROSS INTERVENTIONS, THE SIZE OF THE OBSERVED REDUCTION IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION HAS VARIED ACROSS DIFFERENT MODES (E.G., STRENGTH-BASED, AEROBIC-BASED, MIND-BODY) AND DOSES (I.E., INTENSITY, DURATION, AND FREQUENCY) OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND MAY NOT BE SUSTAINED LONG-TERM. THERE- FORE, UNDERSTANDING THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS IS NEEDED TO DEVELOP MORE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS THAT LEAD TO IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS, PSYCHOLOGICAL ME- DIATING MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THESE EFFECTS ARE LESS UNDERSTOOD. HOW AN INDIVIDUAL SUBJECTIVELY FEELS (E.G., PLEASANT/UNPLEASANT, BAD/GOOD) DURING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY BE A CRITICAL FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO SUSTAINED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR AND REDUCED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO SUSTAIN ENGAGEMENT IN BEHAVIORS THAT BRING FEELINGS OF PLEASURE AND ENJOYMENT, LEADING TO MORE POSITIVE EMOTIONS AND OPTIMAL WELL-BEING THROUGH A POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP. HOWEVER, INTERVENTION USING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES DURING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO REDUCE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS IS LACKING. THE PROPOSED TRAINING PROJECT WILL LEVERAGE A CURRENTLY-FUNDED FIVE-MONTH CROSS-OVER RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. THE STUDY PROVIDES AFFECT-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GOALS TARGETING POSITIVE AFFECTIVE EXPERIENCES. PHYSICALLY INACTIVE ADULTS WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY (N=280) WILL RECEIVE EITHER DAILY AFFECT- OR INTENSITY-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GOALS (8-WEEKS EACH WITH A 2-WEEK WASH-OUT PE- RIOD). HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE AFFECT-BASED GOAL (N=140) WILL RECEIVE AN ENHANCEMENT USING THE MINDFULNESS PRACTICE OF SAVORING, WHICH INVOLVES ATTENTION DEPLOYMENT AND GRATITUDE MAKING TO INCREASE THE SALIENCY OF POSI- TIVE EMOTIONS DURING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. AIM 1 WILL TEST THE BETWEEN-SUBJECT EFFECT OF THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GOALS ON CHANGES IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION COLLECTED VIA QUESTIONNAIRE AT BASELINE, MID-, AND POST-STUDY. WHILE AIMS 2 AND 3 UTILIZE ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT TO EXAMINE THE WITHIN-SUBJECT EFFECTS OF HOW THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GOAL INFLUENCES DAY-LEVEL GENERAL AFFECT THROUGH AFFECTIVE RESPONSE AND HOW ENGAGEMENT AND FREQUENCY OF POS- ITIVE VALANCE WORDS MODERATES AFFECTIVE RESPONSE AND DAY-LEVEL GENERAL AFFECT, RESPECTIVELY. FINDINGS COULD GUIDE ENHANCED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRESCRIPTIONS TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM ADHERENCE AND PROVIDE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IMPROVEMENTS. SUPPORTED BY A STRONG MENTORSHIP TEAM WITH COMPLEMENTARY EXPERTISE, THIS PROPOSAL ALIGNS WITH A COHESIVE TRAINING PLAN THAT WILL FORM THE IDEAL FOUNDATION FOR AN INDEPENDENT CAREER EXAMINING PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIORS, AS A PREVENTION STRATEGY FOR MENTAL HEALTH.