The Potential for Exercise as a Therapy for Clinical or Subclinical Depression - Essay Example

Mental Health and Exercise Regular exercises bring a lot of health benefits and this has become a matter of common knowledge because of vast researches conducted in this topic. Evidence from such studies proves that physical exercise is a very effective intervention strategy for combating health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol and many other diseases. However, it is also possible that regular exercise can fetch several other benefits also, which have not yet become popular among the ordinary people. There is no denial of the fact that exercises benefit everybody irrespective of age, sex, physical ability. To explore the additional benefits of exercises, a lot of research studies have been conducted over the last 15 years, especially with the intention determining whether this activity can improve mental health. Most of the studies conducted with such a focus validate “the potential for exercise as a therapy for clinical or subclinical depression or anxiety, and the use of physical activity as a means of upgrading life quality through enhanced self-esteem, improved mood states, reduced state and trait anxiety, resilience to stress, or improved sleep” (Galal, 2012). There is sound logic in the assumption that the overall physical wellbeing of a person can promote happiness and make life stress free. This fact is evidenced from recent researches and it transpires that physical exercises and dietary interventions can improve mental health and wellbeing. Though, the benefits of exercises with context of mental health have not been widely recognized, recent studies point to evidence in this regard. A human being’s happiness primarily relies on the individual’s physical wellbeing, which enables him or her to attend to all the responsibilities. Thus, the person will feel happy and content, thereby leading a stress free life and will have peace of mind, which, in turn, will foster good mental health. These studies have summarized the prospective for work out as a good therapy for either clinical or even sub clinical anxiety or at times depression. The use of bodily activity as a mode of promotion of life eminence through better self-esteem, states of mood, flexibility to strain, or some improvement in sleep (Crone & Guy, 2008)” Thus, the evidence available from research shows that active involvement in regular exercise has considerable advantage in terms of mental health of individuals. Studies also reveal that people with mental illness have some or other physical problems, thus necessitating physical activity among them for improving health. In the above backdrop, this article seeks to explore updated research that corroborates the hypothesis that physical exercise and regulations have a positive impact on mental health and well being. It also attempts to establish the relationship of physical therapy assisted recovery in people undergoing mental therapy. Qualitative research methodology used to collect data relating to the impact of physical exercise on the participants. The methodology also involved the use of focus groups. Members of the focus group were supposed to have some mental manifestation of mental illness, and are currently undergoing mental therapy. 11 individuals, of which 10 were male and 1 female, between 18-65 years were tested as the sample population for this study. These individuals would take part in a physical therapy if they received the opportunity. They would also provide their views on how they felt before the exercise and how they felt after the participation. Data would then be collected after participation in both the therapies to establish what kind of changes would occur. The physical therapy on the individuals would be organized in sessions, where the individuals in the focus group would take part. To avoid any bias, the researcher had carried out the exercise in groups of three. The result of the study showed that sport therapy helped in providing relaxation to the mind, which promoted mental stability of individuals who participated in physical therapy rather than those people who did not involve in any exercise. Physical therapy also showed some good effects in managing anxiety among the participants and the people involved were more relaxed. The research has brought forth the fact that involving in physical exercise, while the patient is taking treatment for any mental disease, has positive outcomes on the patient’s mental health, especially in term of facilitating faster recovery. Thus, the result, deriving from this study can be used to justify the proposition that people under going mental therapy need to take part in physical exercise to improve on their chances of quick recovery. The research article, “Evaluation of Service Users’ Experiences of Participating in an Exercise Programme at the Western Australian State Forensic Mental Health Services,” co-authored by Wynaden, Barr, Omari and Fulton, seeks to establish the effects of exercise among patients at the Western Australian State Forensic Mental Health Services. Preliminary literature indicates that the mentally ill people become highly susceptible to obesity and other physical complication because of factors such as disorganized lifestyle, poor diet, drug abuse, and poor social behavior. Another case research, has established that people with schizophrenia have unhealthy eating behavior, do smoke, and are physically inactive. This research supports findings that have been gleaned from other research results. Similarly, prevalence of obesity and smoking is significantly higher in the mentally sick individuals than in the normal population. The mentally ill persons also account for mortality rates higher than the normal population with complications, such as cardiovascular diseases. On a simple premise, when a person involves in physical activities, his or her inclination prior to, during and after the exercise, to smoke drastically decreases. Also, there is no denial of the fact that exercising and sweating enhance the quality of bodily functions and rejuvenates muscles and other internal organs. Prescribed medications for managing their illnesses of patients are also a factor to their health complications. More professionalism in the administration of health care and education in independent care can also become effective tools in controlling the physical problems that face the group, as it has been further revealed from the research. The Frankland Centre hosts a variety of patients suspected of mental disorder. These include cases of hospital orders, transferred prisoners, and acquitted persons on the basis of insanity. The facility’s treatment approach involves a formal exercise and a healthy lifestyle. The process of exercise has been adopted as a quality improvement program in the facility and it forms a part of statutory law. It relies on motivated feedback that aims at improving patients’ utility. A self-report questionnaire, based on a pilot study, has been used to collect data on patients’ demographic factors, their derived utility, and their recommendations for possible changes. The patients were given the questionnaires during their second week in the facilities with information of their voluntary participation. Further, the participants were free from any form of influence in completing the questionnaires. The data set obtained from the study was then analyzed using SPSS software. 56 patients comprising, 47 males and nine females, within the age range from 19 to 50 years, completed the questionnaires. 77 percent of the participants were bellow 35 years and almost 40 percent had only been in the facility for less than one month. More than 95 of the participants acknowledged the significance of the program. On the program’s impacts, about 40 percent of the participants found it enjoyable, 26 percent found it useful and about 22 percent agreed that it made them feel better. The major reasons as stated by the participants for attending gym were to stay healthy, to get fit, to enjoy the exercise, and to reduce stress. The most helpful activities included circuit exercise, stretching exercise, volleyball and basketball while significant overall utility from the program included fitness, stress management, well being, and improved mood. Circuit exercise is the most popular activity and improves cohesion and well-being among patients in the facility. The findings from this research correspond to previous research results that health care team members promote the patients’ well being. Language barrier and the questionnaire structure were however the identified limitations to the study. The program, despite the research’s limitations, has been able to validate the belief that a proper system of physical exercise can facilitate long term health benefit to the participants and can reduce the mental stress in them. Exercise plays a major role in the quality of life of individuals, especially in adult age. Although the population of older adults is increasing day by day in the US, few researchers have attempted to establish the relationship between mental health and exercise. The purpose of the study by Paxton, Molt, Aylward, & Nigg (2010) was to establish the role of self-efficacy and mental health in the physical activity and the quality of life (QoL) relationship. Additionally, it has also established if demographic characteristics alter these relationships. The main reason for using meta-analysis in this study was to determine the correlation that exists between physical activity and QoL. Unlike other studies that have not considered the variables that stand between physical activity and QoL, this study included self-efficacy as a variable that plays an important role in this relationship. This study also considered researches done on previous occasions. Other studies conducted among older adults reveal that sustained and regular physical activity promotes with good QoL in later years. Thus, the probability of a regular exercising person to stay healthy is higher than of a person who does not exercise. Additionally, some studies reveal that physical activity also reduces stress levels, decreases mood disturbances, besides facilitating vitality, and hence fosters stable mental health. A study by Elavsky et al. observed that physical activity has a positive bearing on global QoL through its association with self-efficacy. This study included ten participants from ten organizational settings from on Oahu Island in Hawaii. Hawaii University board assisted in the meta-analysis to ensure that all procedures were in accordance withh the plan. Different measures, including leisure time physical activity, self-efficacy for physical activity, mental health difficulties, and quality of life assisted in the analysis. The data was analyzed using multilevel covariance modeling to capture information that is more accurate. Results of this study support the findings of previous researches that physical activity is indirectly related to global QoL and is accounted for by self-efficacy and mental health difficulties. Physical activity is directly associated with self-efficacy, which in turn is directly associated with physical and mental health and indirectly associated with QoL. Reference Crone, D. & Guy, H. (2008). “I Know it is only Exercise, but to Me it is Something That Keeps Me Going: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Mental Health Service Users’ Experiences Of Sports Therapy.” International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 17: 197-207. Paxton, R., Molt, R., Aylward, A., & Nigg, C., (2010). “Physical Activity and Quality of Life- The Complementary Influence of Self-Efficacy for Physical Activity and Mental Health Difficulties,” International Society of Behavior Medicine, 17, 255-263 Galal, O. S. (n.d.). The nutrition transition in egypt: obesity, undernutrition and the food consumption context. Retrieved from http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=PHN Wynaden, D. et al. (2012). Evaluation of service users’ experiences of participating in an exercise programme at the Western Australian State Forensic Mental Health Services. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing (2012.21) 229- 235. Read More