Table 2. Overview of content and home assignments of the intervention.
| Module | Content | Home assignments |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brief introduction to depression; signs and symptoms. Explanation of depression using the spiral modela. Overview of different types of PAb, and how PA can be helpful to treat depression. Presentation of treatment structure and how to use the EWBSc. Presentation of how to set up and use the pedometer. | 1. Participants are asked to give a brief narrative of their depressive symptoms and prior experience of PA. 2. What are the participants’ thoughts about their chance of increasing PA level? 3. Which are the participants’ main barriers for PA? 4. The participants are asked to use the pedometer in three walks during the coming week and to register the total number of steps taken. |
| 2. | Introduction on how a sedentary lifestyle influences overall health. Description of how PA affects the human body in physical, mental, and neurological ways, and level of PA needed to acquire positive health effects. Presentation of stages of changed. Most common barriers for PA and how to overcome them. Examination of pros and cons of increasing PA or maintaining the status quo, using a motivational balance exercise. | 1. What is the participant’s view of the treatment program so far? 2. Which stage of change do the participants find themselves in right now? 3. What do the participants believe is their main obstacle for PA? 4. Motivational balance exercise. 5. Participants are encouraged to keep taking three walks the coming week and if they want, to increase the length of the walks. |
| 3. | Introduction to goal setting using SMART goal setting principlese. How to work with activity scheduling to incorporate regular PA into everyday life. Examples of different forms of PA. Important aspects of change management and how to increase self-efficacy for PA. | 1. SMART goal-setting for the next week. 2. Making a schedule of PA activities to meet the goals for next week. 3. Patients are encouraged to register all PA conducted during the week (using the pedometer). |
| 4. | Introduction on how to follow up and review the goal and schedule from last week. Possible links between PA and mood. | 1. From this week on, SMART goal-setting, activity scheduling and registration of PA for the coming week are incorporated as a weekly routine. 2. Participants are asked to review the goal and the schedule from the past week. 3. Which were the biggest obstacles for PA this week? 4. How did the participants deal with them? |
| 5. | Introduction to handling setbacks and relapses during behaviour change. Presentation of the most common thinking errors when afflicted by setbacks and how to deal with them. How to reward progress in PA and to facilitate long lasting behaviour change. | 1. Do the participants recognize any of the common thinking errors when afflicted by setbacks? 2. What progress have the participants experienced so far? 3. How can these accomplishments be rewarded? |
| 6. | How to get sufficient rest and recovery after PA. General nutrition advice before and after PA. | 1. What do the participants find particularly important as a “take home message” regarding rest and nutrition? |
| 7. | Participants are introduced to aspects of acceptance and commitment theoryf, and are initiated to think about how PA can be part of heightened quality of life. Subjects learns about living in accordance with what they value in terms of health and PA, and are introduced to the concept of having a permissive attitude towards all experiences when moving in their valued direction, even the difficult ones. | 1. Valued direction exercise focusing on health and PA. |
| 8. | Mindfulness walking and how to incorporate acceptance in the struggle to increase and maintain PA | 1. Participants are encouraged to do a mindfulness walking exercise. What were their experiences? |
| 9. | How to maintain PA after the end of the treatment program. Summary of the previous modules. | 1. Participants are encouraged to answer the post-treatment questionnaires administered over the Internet. |