000165518 001__ 165518 000165518 005__ 20260112132214.0 000165518 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1371/journal.pone.0326012 000165518 0248_ $$2sideral$$a147260 000165518 037__ $$aART-2025-147260 000165518 041__ $$aeng 000165518 100__ $$aPoveda-López, José Lesmes 000165518 245__ $$aStudy protocol for a mixed-methods pilot of a physiotherapy plus education program for inpatients with major depressive disorder: Feasibility and preliminary effects 000165518 260__ $$c2025 000165518 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000165518 5203_ $$aBackground Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder with significant psychological and physical symptoms that can lead to disability and other severe consequences. This disorder is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, causing neurotransmitter imbalances and inflammation. Given mayor depressive disorder’s high prevalence and impact, it is crucial to implement a health promotion and intervention program aimed at this disorder. Investigating the feasibility of physical therapy, including therapeutic exercise and health education, compared to psychiatric and psychological approaches is an essential component of this program and of improving the quality of life for patients affected by mayor depressive disorder. Methods A concurrent nested mixed-methods study with quantitative dominance will be conducted. The quantitative study will be a quasi-experimental pilot study with a pre-post design. This study will additionally include a qualitative narrative design. Initial and post-intervention evaluations will include sociodemographic and clinical data. Quantitative data will be collected using the EQ-5D-3L, MADRS, NRS, GSE, and GCPCUN-ESU questionnaires. These tools assess health status, depression severity, pain intensity, self-efficacy, and satisfaction levels. Qualitative data will be collected from focus groups with 6–8 participants. The question guide for patients will cover their experiences with their illness and intervention, while the guide for professionals will cover their perceptions of patient management and observed barriers and facilitators. All participants will receive the same evidence-based intervention over 3–6 weeks, with 2 weekly sessions of approximately 45 minutes each. Each session will consist of therapeutic exercise and health education to improve patients’ physical condition and self-management skills. Discussion This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a physiotherapy intervention program for MDD patients. It will also provide preliminary insights into the effects on quality of life, pain, and self-efficacy, which will inform the design of a future definitive trial. The findings from this research will provide valuable scientific insights and a basis for guiding health-care policymakers on the potential inclusion of physical therapy in clinical practice guidelines and standard hospital treatments for major depressive disorders. © 2025 Poveda-López et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. 000165518 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/B61-23D 000165518 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000165518 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000165518 700__ $$aJiménez-Sánchez, Carolina 000165518 700__ $$aLafuente-Ureta, Raquel 000165518 700__ $$aMarco-Gómez, Bárbara$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000165518 700__ $$aVillagrasa-Cantín, Ana 000165518 700__ $$aPérez-Mansilla, Sara 000165518 700__ $$aGuarch-Rubio, Marta 000165518 700__ $$aRoy, Juan Francisco 000165518 7102_ $$11007$$2610$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Medicina, Psiqu. y Derm.$$cArea Medicina 000165518 773__ $$g20, 11 (2025), e0326012 [17 pp.]$$pPLoS One$$tPLoS ONE$$x1932-6203 000165518 8564_ $$s810918$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/165518/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000165518 8564_ $$s2282261$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/165518/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000165518 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:165518$$particulos$$pdriver 000165518 951__ $$a2026-01-12-11:09:05 000165518 980__ $$aARTICLE