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1 – 10 of over 77000Diane Crone, Phil Tyson and Jessica Holley
This paper provides a summary of the current state of knowledge on the use of physical activity as an adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia. There is a well documented…
Abstract
This paper provides a summary of the current state of knowledge on the use of physical activity as an adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia. There is a well documented relationship between physical activity and mental health, which is reflected in numerous health policy recommendations for practice, in both the promotion of mental health and in the treatment of mental health problems. In schizophrenia, this association is also recognised, and research has suggested that participation in physical activity regimes can have beneficial effects on positive and negative symptoms, psychological well‐being and anxiety and tension. However, a neglected area of research is in the potential for physical activity to remediate the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Physical activity has been shown to enhance cognitive function in a wide variety of clinical and non‐clinical populations, however this body of research has not yet extended to schizophrenia populations. The authors argue that this should be a future priority.
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Julie M. Maier and Shannon L. Jette
To examine the exercise experiences of women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in order to highlight the complex relationship between mental illness and physical activity…
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the exercise experiences of women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in order to highlight the complex relationship between mental illness and physical activity, as it intersects with other identities and social locations (e.g., gender and sexuality) as well as other mental health conditions (e.g., eating disorders and exercise addiction).
Method
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 women who self-identify as having OCD. A thematic analysis was conducted to understand the role of physical activity in the participants’ lives.
Findings
The participants experience holistic benefits from being physically active. At the same time, however, their symptoms of OCD and related disorders (e.g., eating disorders) make it challenging to be physically active in meaningful and healthy ways.
Implications
Public health messages promoting exercise as a form of therapy must take into account the complex relationship between physical activity and mental illness. Additional research and programing is also needed in order to help women with mental health issues be physically active in safe and enjoyable ways.
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Megan Jansen, Chloe Chapman, Thomas Richardson, Peter Elliott and Ron Roberts
Previous studies in the field have highlighted a bidirectional link between mental health and physical health. Students may be at a higher risk of both mental and physical health…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous studies in the field have highlighted a bidirectional link between mental health and physical health. Students may be at a higher risk of both mental and physical health problems because of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and the commencement of university occurring at the same mean age of onset for many psychiatric disorders. This study aims to examine how physical health variables influence changes in mental health symptoms, and vice versa, over time, in a sample of British undergraduate students.
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal design over a one-year time period. A national sample of 430 British undergraduate students completed measures of mental health and physical health online at up to four time-points across their first two years of university.
Findings
General physical health and energy and fatigue predicted more severe depression, anxiety, stress and poorer general mental health over time. Depression and stress predicted poorer physical functioning over time. Greater anxiety predicted poorer general health and more severe pain over time. General mental health was not predictive of general physical health. Overall, poor general physical health appears to exacerbate mental health symptoms in students to a greater extent than mental health problems lead to a deterioration in physical health.
Originality/value
This study adds a longitudinal design to a field that is usually cross-sectional, as well as a lack of consideration of how this relationship may differ within student samples. Early interventions should integrate physical and mental well-being rather than focus on any single health-related behaviour.
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Martin Jones and Carol O'Beney
The physical health benefits of exercise are well established but there is also growing research evidence of links between physical activity and mental health benefits, including…
Abstract
The physical health benefits of exercise are well established but there is also growing research evidence of links between physical activity and mental health benefits, including mood elevation, better cognitive functioning and improved self‐perception, self‐esteem and selfefficacy. Physical activity has also been shown to enhance the effectiveness of psychological therapies and to have a role in improving quality of life and symptom management for people with a wide range of mental health problems. Physical activity has a double benefit, since people with mental health problems are also at increased risk of a range of physical health problems, including cardiovascular disease, endocrine disorders and obesity. However referral to a physical activity specialist is rarely available in psychiatric settings. This paper gives two examples of how provision of physical activity facilities and programmes staffed by qualified specialists can contribute towards improving mental health and quality of life for people with mental health problems.
Dafna Merom and Robert Korycinski
The mid-1990s marked a paradigm shift in the way physical activity is promoted, and walking is now considered the most suitable type of physical activity for widespread promotion…
Abstract
The mid-1990s marked a paradigm shift in the way physical activity is promoted, and walking is now considered the most suitable type of physical activity for widespread promotion. Accurate measurement underpins public health practice, hence the aims of this chapter are to: (1) provide a typology for the measurement of walking; (2) review methods to assess walking; (3) present challenges in defining walking measures; (4) identify issues in selecting instruments for the evaluation of walking and (5) discuss current efforts to overcome measurement challenges and methodological limitations. The taxonomy of walking indicates that secondary purpose walking is a more complex set of behaviours than primary purpose walks. It has many purposes and no specific domain or intensity, may lack regularity, and therefore poses greater measurement challenges. Objective measurement methods, such as accelerometers, pedometers, smartphones and other electronic devices, have shown good approximation for walking energy expenditure, but are indirect methods of walking assessment. Global Positioning System technology, the ‘Smartmat’ and radio-frequency identification tags are potential objective methods that can distinguish walkers, but also require complex analysis, are costly, and still need their measurement properties corroborated. Subjective direct methods, such as questionnaires, diaries and direct observation, provide the richest information on walking, especially short-term diaries, such as trip records and time use records, and are particularly useful for assessing secondary purpose walking. A unifying measure for health research, surveillance and health promotion would strongly advance the understanding of the impact of walking on health.
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Alfred Rütten, Heiko Ziemainz, Karim Abu‐Omar and Nicole Groth
Explores the relationships between the perceived quality of physical education lessons, the perceived quality of opportunities for physical activity in a residential area, and the…
Abstract
Explores the relationships between the perceived quality of physical education lessons, the perceived quality of opportunities for physical activity in a residential area, and the physical fitness and health of pupils attending Grades 5 and 9 in Germany. The data were collected from 300 pupils in a community in Saxony, using a standardized questionnaire and a standard test of sporting ability. Results indicated that girls evaluated the opportunities for physical activity in the residential area more critically than boys. Multivariate analysis showed that the subjective health status of pupils was associated with good physical fitness and a good perception of opportunities for physical activity in the residential area, but not with the perceived quality of physical education lessons. These results provide evidence that a relationship between the urban environment and physical activity exists, and that the promotion of physical activity for pupils can benefit from intersectoral approaches.
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Paul F. Gorczynski, Sarah Edmunds and Ruth Lowry
Canadian long-haul truck drivers lead sedentary lives, but are receptive to receiving physical activity information to address health risks. This study examined how Canadian…
Abstract
Purpose
Canadian long-haul truck drivers lead sedentary lives, but are receptive to receiving physical activity information to address health risks. This study examined how Canadian long-haul truck drivers would like to receive physical activity information in order to improve their overall health. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) explore barriers Canadian long-haul truck drivers have to receiving and using physical activity information and 2) understand how physical activity information should be structured and delivered to these drivers to overcome these barriers.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Canadian long-haul truck drivers. Drivers had, on average, 14.3 years of professional long-haul driving experience.
Findings
Few drivers had received any physical activity information. Drivers discussed a culture where they perceived both employers and drivers to be lacking awareness of the importance of physical activity and its impact on health. Drivers explained they were too busy, stressed or tired to be active or to learn about physical activity. Information received by some drivers on this topic was too general to be helpful in changing physical activity behaviours. Drivers mentioned that personalized and accessible physical activity information should be provided to them through multiple methods by their employers, as an aspect of occupational health and safety.
Practical implications
Future physical activity information strategies should use both passive and interactive mediums to promote physical activity to Canadian long-haul truck drivers.
Originality/value
This is the first study to assess how Canadian long-haul truck drivers would like to receive trustworthy information that can lead to healthful improvements in physical activity behaviour.
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Victoria E. Warburton, Lee C. Beaumont and Krystal C.M. Bishop
The authors applied a multidimensional conceptual lens that incorporated physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual health dimensions to explore pre-adolescent…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors applied a multidimensional conceptual lens that incorporated physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual health dimensions to explore pre-adolescent children's understanding of health and what it means to be healthy.
Design/methodology/approach
Forty-six children aged 9–11 years old completed a short questionnaire about their understanding of health and what it means to be healthy. Data analysis was completed through a deductive analysis applying a multidimensional conceptual lens and an inductive thematic analysis of the content of children's responses to each question.
Findings
The analysis of children's understandings of health and being healthy both revealed five common themes: Being well, physically active, fit and healthy; Healthy eating and body composition; Physical activity examples; Physical activity characteristics; and Unsure or ambiguous. Across both questions the majority of responses reflected the physical dimension of health, with only a few references to the social and emotional dimensions. There was no evidence of the intellectual or spiritual dimensions of health in children's responses to either question.
Practical implications
The authors’ data suggest that the plateau in adolescent UK children's trajectory of understandings originates earlier in childhood, with children aged 9–11 showing a similarly limited understanding of health and being healthy as UK adolescents. Moreover, this focus on the physical dimension is narrower than previously considered as it is restricted to the movement category of this dimension only.
Originality/value
The authors’ findings have implications for the timing and focus of health education interventions for children.
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Emily Samuels and Nicola Moran
Physical health inequalities and mortality rates are higher amongst individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), including among forensic populations, than the general…
Abstract
Purpose
Physical health inequalities and mortality rates are higher amongst individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), including among forensic populations, than the general population. This paper aims to explore the experiences of individuals accessing primary health care following discharge from secure services, and the practitioners who support them.
Design/methodology/approach
Face-to-face qualitative interviews were conducted with service users (n = 4) and mental health practitioners (n = 4) within a forensic community mental health team in one NHS Trust in England in 2019. Data were analysed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Findings
Four super-ordinate themes emerged: perceived importance of physical health, agency, responsibility and relationships. Service users mostly saw themselves as passive recipients of health care and prioritised their mental health over their physical health. Close working relationships meant that mental health practitioners were often the first contact for service users with any health issue and thus felt a sense of responsibility for their physical health care. Service users who did access primary care reported that consistency of professional, feeling understood and listened to without judgement or stigma were important.
Practical implications
Interventions for service users that include practicalities and strategies to facilitate independence in physical health care, and collaborative working between primary care and forensic mental health services, are encouraged.
Originality/value
This study highlights some of the unique challenges in forensics around improving physical health outcomes for individuals with SMI.
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