Physical activity (PA) is recognized to be an efficient therapy for depression but few patients are practicing it.

This study investigates whether motivational interviewing stimulates hospitalized depressed patients to participate to PA therapeutic programs.

70 depressed patients, hospitalized in a psychiatric unit were followed regarding their participation to indoor bike training sessions. The first 39 ones (controls = C) were informed that this training possibility was at their disposal without further comment. The 31 next ones (the participants = P) received one session per week of motivational interviewing. Frequency, time, and intensity of the indoor bike training were compared between groups. Demographical variables, BDI and STAI were recorded. There were no significant differences between groups regarding these variables. Participation frequency was recorded as the total number of sessions of physical training by each patient divided by the number of his hospitalization days.

The frequency of participation to AP for the P group is 0.45 participations per day [SD=0.14] versus 0.16 for the C group[SD=0.14](p<0.0001). The mean energy spent at each participation is equivalent in both groups, 41.9 Kcal [SD=21.8] for the P group versus 44.2 Kcal [SD=32.7] for the C group.

Motivational interviewing is able to raise significantly the frequency of participation to physical activity programs in depressed inpatients.