Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 1 of 1
The impact of exercise on the mental health and quality of life of people with severe mental illness: a critical review
- Authors:
- ALEXANDRATOS Kristy, BARNETT Fiona, THOMAS Yvonne
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(2), February 2012, pp.48-60.
- Publisher:
- Sage
While physical exercise is beneficial in terms of mental health and wellbeing, there has been little research investigating its impact on mental health and quality of life for people who experience a severe mental illness. This review explores the effect of physical exercise on the mental health and quality of life of people with severe mental illness. Data was drawn from 16 articles published between 1998 and 2009. The findings revealed that exercise contributed to improvements in symptoms, including mood, alertness, concentration, sleep patterns and psychotic symptoms. Exercise also improved quality of life through social interaction, meaningful use of time, purposeful activity and empowerment. The authors concluded that future studies should focus on psychological outcome measures to provide greater evidence for its use in therapy.