Late life major depression (LLMD) is usually treated within primary care, but still with unsatisfactory outcomes and significant residual symptoms. Moreover, LLMD increases symptoms of anxiety, dyspnea, fear of falling (FOF), and risk of falls. Evidence from non-depressed patients suggests the efficacy of breathing and postural exercises; in particular, rhythmic breathing during poetry recitation was shown to improve cardio-respiratory synchronization. Thus, the aim of the HESIOD study was to test the efficacy of antidepressants plus breathing and postural exercises to improve patients’ anxiety mood, dyspnea, FOF, and postural stability.

Two non-randomised groups were compared: (1) antidepressant drugs plus weekly sessions of breathing/postural exercises based on the rhythmic recitation of hexameter poetry (intervention); (2) antidepressant drugs plus weekly sessions of group reading (comparator). Patients aged 65 +, with non-psychotic recurrent LLMD were recruited from a psychiatric consultation-liaison program for primary care. The main outcome measure was remission from depression (MADRS score ≤ 10) at 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes will include accelerometer-based measures of postural stability; patient-rated dyspnea, and FOF.

Preliminary data on 34 patients show that patients receiving breathing and postural exercises displayed greater remission rates than those in the reading group (47.1% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.02). Further analyses will examine the effects on postural stability, dyspnea and FOF.

Breathing and postural exercises may exert significant clinical advantage when added to the standard antidepressant drug therapy for LLMD. This study might prompt further research on innovative treatment strategies to improve the outcomes of late life depression in primary care.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.