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

    User-Defined Keywords

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

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