Effects of Physical Activity Intervention for Chinese People With Severe Mental Illness

Daniel Young*, Petrus Yat Nam Ng, Daphne Cheng, Leung Chun Hong

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: This research project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a physical activity (PA) intervention model for people with severe mental illness in a Chinese society.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted in this study. In addition to treatment-as-usual (TAU), the treatment group (n = 52) participated in a supervised jogging activity twice a week for a total of eight sessions, followed by four sessions of psychoeducation on nutrition and personal appearance. The control group (n = 42) received TAU. Standardized assessment tools were used for the outcomes assessment at pre- and posttreatment.

Results: 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of covariance demonstrated that the treatment group was significantly more effective than the control group in reducing depressive symptoms and increasing self-esteem and social support.

Conclusions: This study supports the effectiveness of a PA intervention model in a Chinese society, suggesting the importance of incorporating regular physical exercises into community-based mental health services.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)796-807
Number of pages12
JournalResearch on Social Work Practice
Volume29
Issue number7
Early online date16 Oct 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2019

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Psychology(all)

User-Defined Keywords

  • depression
  • physical activity intervention
  • quasi-experimental design
  • self-esteem
  • severe mental illness

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