(PS6-23) Digitally-delivered Exercise Intervention for Anxiety and Depression Using Smartphone and Wearable Devices: A Feasibility Trial Protocol

Abstract Text: Exercise is an effective intervention for depression and anxiety disorders, but more research is needed to optimize dosing guidelines, address individual differences in treatment response, establish treatment protocols and enable broad integration into clinical practice, particularly among underrepresented groups. Digital interventions that engage transdiagnostic targets have the potential to bridge this gap in the literature by powering studies with larger samples across diverse populations. Digital interventions also have the potential to expand access to care. The RainFrog Digital Therapy Ecosystem is a modular, evidence-based digital therapy platform developed by Dr. Zachary Cohen, Dr. Michelle Craske, and colleagues through the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Depression Grand Challenge. RainFrog has been successfully implemented across multiple university and healthcare settings and is offered in both English and Spanish. This study protocol leverages RainFrog to employ a small-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a novel exercise intervention for adults with clinically significant anxiety and/or depression (N = 50) using smartphone and wearable devices. Participants will be randomized to either the 12-week intervention or an enhanced treatment-as-usual (eTAU) control condition. The intervention arm will include scaffolded psychoeducational content, exercise classes, and tools designed to target key transdiagnostic targets implicated in the etiology and treatment of anxiety and depression, including distress tolerance, general self-efficacy, anxiety sensitivity, stress reactivity, and mindfulness. Passive sensor data (e.g., physical activity, heart rate variability, VO2max, METs, sleep) and ecological momentary assessments will be collected to capture objective measurement and symptom change. Primary feasibility metrics will include recruitment, retention, adherence, engagement and acceptability. Changes in depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as transdiagnostic targets, will be measured at baseline, post-intervention, and six-month follow-up. Repeated-measures ANOVA and regression analyses will assess preliminary efficacy, explore potential mechanisms of change, and evaluate factors such as race, ethnicity, and gender as covariates. Results of this trial will inform a full-scale RCT and guide the development of accessible, personalized exercise-based treatment across diverse populations, consistent with ABCT’s mission of advancing inclusive, science-based care.