Undergraduate student perceptions of cognitive behavioral therapy, aerobic exercise, and their combination for depression

Abstract

Objective

Both aerobic exercise and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) improve depression, but perceptions of their credibility and efficacy are underexplored. These perceptions can contribute to treatment seeking and outcome. A previous online sample ranging in age and education rated a combined treatment higher than individual components and underestimated their efficacy. The current study is a replication exclusively focused on college students.

Participants

Undergraduates (N = 260) participated during the 2021–2022 school year.

Methods

Students reported impressions of each treatment’s credibility, efficacy, difficulty, and recovery rate.

Results

Students viewed combined therapy as potentially better, but also more difficult, and underestimated recovery rates, replicating previous work. Their efficacy ratings significantly underestimated both meta-analytic estimates and the previous sample’s perceptions.

Conclusions

Consistent underestimation of treatment effectiveness suggests that realistic education could prove especially beneficial. Students might be more willing than the broader population to accept exercise as a treatment or adjunct for depression.

Keywords:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• depression
• exercise
• perceptions
• students

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University at Albany.