Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41787307›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2026

BRIDGE - Behavioral and physical activation for multimorbid older adults with depressive symptoms during the inpatient to outpatient transition: Study protocol for a multicenter two-arm randomized controlled trial.

Alexandra Wuttke, Nils Henrik Pixa, Claudia Voelcker-Rehage, Lisa Marie Warner, Valentina Ludwig, Christine Müller, Brigitte Anderl-Doliwa, Andreas Fellgiebel, Peter Wagner, Jochen Heckmann and 14 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors.

Alexandra Wuttke *Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 905, Konstanz, 78464, Germany. alexandra.wuttke@uni-konstanz.de.
Nils Henrik Pixa *Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Claudia Voelcker-RehageDepartment of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, University of Münster, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Münster, Germany.
Lisa Marie WarnerDepartment of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Valentina LudwigDepartment of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Christine MüllerGerman Depression League (Deutsche DepressionsLiga e.V.), Bonn, Germany.
Brigitte Anderl-DoliwaPfalzklinikum, Service Provider for Mental Health & Neurology, Klingenmünster, Germany.
Andreas FellgiebelAgaplesion Elisabethenstift, Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Darmstadt, Germany.
Peter WagnerAgaplesion Markus Krankenhaus, Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany.
Jochen HeckmannLandeskrankenhaus, Geriatric Specialist Clinic Rheinhessen-Nahe - Center for Acute Care and Rehabilitation, Bad Kreuznach, Germany.
Marcus UngerSHG-Kliniken Sonnenberg, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Ulrich SeidlSHG-Kliniken Sonnenberg, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Sebastian WaltherDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Center for Mental Health, Würzburg, Germany.
Juergen DeckertDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Center for Mental Health, Würzburg, Germany.
Alexandra Sibylle HerrDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Center for Mental Health, Würzburg, Germany.
Jan WeyerhäuserLandeskrankenhaus, Gerontopsychiatry Rheinhessen-Fachklinik Alzey, Alzey, Germany.
Felix MuehlensiepenCenter for Health Services Research, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School, Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg, Germany.
Kirsten HaasJulius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Würzburg, Germany.
Anna SchäferJulius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Würzburg, Germany.
Peter HeuschmannJulius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Würzburg, Germany.
Julia Katharina WolffIGES Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Lisa VoigtIGES Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Katharina Geschke *Central Research Unit for Mental Health in Older Age, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Eva-Marie Kessler *Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOlder adults with multimorbidity and depressive symptoms are particularly vulnerable during the transition from (partial) inpatient to outpatient care, with a high risk of readmission and rehospitalization due to substantial barriers in accessing appropriate mental healthcare. The BRIDGE intervention addresses this critical transition through a structured, manualized, interdisciplinary treatment program aimed primarily at improving depressive symptoms.

methodsBRIDGE is a 12-week blended care intervention that combines two evidence-based therapeutic strategies—behavioral activation (BA) and physical exercise (PE)—to promote structured daily activity and improve mood and physical health. The program is delivered by an interprofessional team consisting of a nurse, psychologist, and exercise scientist at each study center, and includes both home visits and digital components via a tablet-based e-health platform. Core elements comprise BA exercises in line with behavioral change techniques, and a video-guided home-based PE program. The multicenter two-arm randomized controlled trial evaluates the efficacy, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of the BRIDGE intervention compared to treatment as usual. The post-discharge maintenance or improvement of the outcome of inpatient treatment for depressive symptoms is considered as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include reductions in recurrent hospital admissions, improvements in physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning as well as quality of life, and evidence of a favorable cost-effectiveness ratio. DISCUSSION: BRIDGE offers a comprehensive, scalable intervention model that integrates behavioral and physical activation into the daily life of older patients with multimorbidity and depressive symptoms. By embedding hybrid delivery formats, structured interprofessional collaboration, and a focus on sustainable home-based routines, the intervention addresses the complex needs of older multimorbid adults during a critical care transition. Findings from this trial will inform future implementation in diverse healthcare settings and contribute to evidence-based service development in geriatric mental health.

trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS-ID: DRKS00035625, Date of registration in DRKS: 2024-12-19, https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00035625/details ).

Indexed as

Ambulatory CareDepressionExerciseExercise TherapyInpatientsMultimorbidityAgedFemaleHumansMulticenter Studies as TopicOutpatientsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAgeingBehavioral changeBlended careE-healthInterdisciplinaryMental healthPatient involvementPhysical exercisePrevention

Identifiers

PMID41787307
PMCPMC13003656

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.