Patients in the inpatient and daycare centers of the psychiatric adolescent department at Ziv Medical Center receive an intensive treatment program including medical management, psychotherapy (individual, groups, and family therapy), and suited educational and other extracurricular recreational activities. Despite growing evidence of the effective influence of aerobic physical activity and running therapy, it is not included in the intensive treatment program, and, as far as we know, it is not included in most psychiatric wards in Israel.~The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of combining a group based running therapy as part of the treatment program provided in the inpatient and day care centers of the psychiatric ward.~A randomized controlled trial, whereby the intervention group will participate in a 12-week running program and will also continue their routine treatment program. The control group will continue the treatment program as usual.~Participants will have group running sessions for 1 hour, three times a week, for 12 weeks. Sessions will include a psycho-educational short explanation, warm-up, main running exercise, relaxation, and a short summing up discussion. The sessions will be at an open court near the hospital. It will be guided by a team that will address both physical and therapeutic aspects.~The intervention program will include running outside the hospital complex (Safed Stadium) 3 times a week for about an hour each time, for 12 weeks. Participants will be transported to the stadium in an organized manner where the therapeutic running training will be conducted by a team that will include the researcher, running coach, nursing staff and psychology students.~Sessions will include a psycho-educational short explanation, warm-up, main running exercise, relaxation, and a short summing up discussion. At the end of the session, the participants will be driven back to the inpatient ward and day care centers.~Participants from the intervention group will be given specific group running T-shirts. Every week they will be given motivation band bracelets. The control group will be given similar items. Also, both groups will be given running shoes.
A randomized controlled trial, whereby the intervention group will participate in a 12-week running program and will also continue their routine treatment program. The control group will continue the treatment program as usual.