• Research will help to understand how exercise can change the physiology of someone with a mental disorder

• A total of 30 male and female volunteers needed in Bathurst area to participate in three exercise training sessions per week for 12 weeks

Researchers at Charles Sturt University (Charles Sturt) are seeking volunteers in the Bathurst area to participate in research to examine the effect of exercise training on mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P-TSD).

Dr Tegan Hartmann (pictured) in the Charles Sturt School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health in Bathurst is the chief investigator for the research project.

 “This research will examine the effect of regular exercise training on markers of immune function, sleep, the electrical activity of the brain, and many other measures of well-being,” she said.

“While previous research has investigated the effect of exercise on symptoms associated with mental disorders, very few have examined the physiological changes that result in improved symptoms.

“This research is one of the first studies to examine the effect of exercise on immune function, sleep and brain activity in people with a mental disorder, and it will help us to understand how exercise can influence the physiology of someone with a mental disorder.”

The research requires volunteers to participate in three exercise training sessions per week for 12 weeks.

These sessions will be run by Charles Sturt exercise scientists at the Charles Sturt Exercise Physiology Labs, and are free for participants.

The criteria for selection of suitable volunteer participants is as follows:

• Male and female volunteers aged 18 to 65 years
• A total of 30 people are required, in two categories: 15 who have been diagnosed with PTSD, depression or anxiety; and 15  who have never had a mental disorder

Volunteers must also:

• Have no history of, or current, thyroid disease, stroke, head trauma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease or other neuromotor disorders or psychotic symptoms, hypertension, diabetes, inflammatory conditions, or cognitive impairment
• Not be pregnant or breastfeeding
• Not be participating in more than 150 minutes of exercise per week

The exercise training will be conducted at Charles Sturt in Bathurst, starting in September and continuing through to the end of November.

Participants will receive 12 weeks of exercise training three times a week for free, and will receive a personal report at the end.

The research requires participants’ verbal and written consent, and they can withdraw from the research at any time without penalty.

A detailed participant information fact sheet is available from Dr Hartmann on request.

To participate in this research contact Dr Tegan Hartmann on (02) 6338 4067 or email her at thartmann@csu.edu.au