Does exercise impact mood? Exercise patterns of patients in a psychiatric partial hospital program.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the exercise patterns of patients in a partial hospital (PH) program and to determine whether these patterns are associated with mood symptoms and body mass index (BMI). Methods. Eighty-six participants completed self-report questionnaires upon entry to the PH program. We conducted regression analyses to determine the association of exercise, mood, and BMI. Results. We found that the participants' exercise history did not predict automatic thoughts or depressive symptoms. Current exercise did predict fewer depressive symptoms and lower BMI, but not automatic thoughts. A majority of participants were overweight and reported not exercising, despite acknowledging that they were not physically fit and that exercise is beneficial. Conclusion. We recommend that exercise programs be piloted in PH settings to improve patients' mental as well as physical health. Future research should further examine obstacles to exercising in clinical populations.