BACKGROUND: Mentally ill people experience greater difficulty than the general population in exercising regularly. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate attitudes displayed and barriers perceived towards physical activity in a sample of psychiatric patients. METHODS: A total of 138 (M = 48, F = 90) patients attending a community mental health centre were compared with a control group made up of 138 subjects not affected by mental disorders matched for gender, mean age and education. Both groups underwent a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients reported a more sedentary lifestyle in terms of weekly physical activities and daily hours of exercise; their body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher compared with the BMI of controls (p < 0.002); the mentally ill more frequently reported tiredness (p < 0.001), scarce motivation (p < 0.001) and the illness itself (p = 0.01) as barriers to physical activity; moreover, stating how feeling sad or "distressed" reduced their propensity to physical exercise (p = 0.002). A higher number of patients (p < 0.0001) reported little or no motivation for physical activity, and the experiencing of scarce enjoyment (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A series of barriers may limit regular physical activity in subjects affected by mental disorders; these barriers should be taken into account and appropriately addressed.
BACKGROUND: Mentally ill people experience greater difficulty than the general population in exercising regularly. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate attitudes displayed and barriers perceived towards physical activity in a sample of psychiatricpatients. METHODS: A total of 138 (M = 48, F = 90) patients attending a community mental health centre were compared with a control group made up of 138 subjects not affected by mental disorders matched for gender, mean age and education. Both groups underwent a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS:Patients reported a more sedentary lifestyle in terms of weekly physical activities and daily hours of exercise; their body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher compared with the BMI of controls (p < 0.002); the mentally ill more frequently reported tiredness (p < 0.001), scarce motivation (p < 0.001) and the illness itself (p = 0.01) as barriers to physical activity; moreover, stating how feeling sad or "distressed" reduced their propensity to physical exercise (p = 0.002). A higher number of patients (p < 0.0001) reported little or no motivation for physical activity, and the experiencing of scarce enjoyment (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A series of barriers may limit regular physical activity in subjects affected by mental disorders; these barriers should be taken into account and appropriately addressed.
Authors: Tanya T Olmos-Ochoa; Noosha Niv; Gerhard Hellemann; Amy N Cohen; Rebecca Oberman; Richard Goldberg; Alexander S Young Journal: Psychiatr Rehabil J Date: 2019-05-13
Authors: Andrew M Busch; Joseph T Ciccolo; Ajeng J Puspitasari; Sanaz Nosrat; James W Whitworth; Matthew Stults-Kolehmainen Journal: Ment Health Phys Act Date: 2016-03
Authors: Mehala Subramaniapillai; Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos; Markus Duncan; Roger S McIntyre; Rodrigo B Mansur; Gary Remington; Guy Faulkner Journal: BMC Res Notes Date: 2016-07-12