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Physical exercise and students’ mental health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

M. Theodoratou ,
I. Dritsas ,
M. Saltou ,
V. Dimas ,
A. Spyropoulos ,
E. Nikolopoulou ,
V. Bekos ,
P. Kloni ,
A. Psychogioy  and
O. Valsami
M. Theodoratou*
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
I. Dritsas
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
M. Saltou
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
V. Dimas
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
A. Spyropoulos
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
E. Nikolopoulou
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, School of Administration and Economy, Patras, Greece
V. Bekos
Affiliation:
Karamandaneion Hospitak, Pediatrics, Patras, Greece
P. Kloni
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
A. Psychogioy
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
O. Valsami
Affiliation:
Technological Institute of Western Greece, Social Work, Patras, Greece
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Studies have shown that sport participation is connected with a more positive self-image and higher self-esteem in adolescents (Bowkers, 2006, Kirkcaldy et al., 2002), whereas sedentary behavior is associated with negative mental health characteristics (Primack et al., 2009).

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate whether physical activity influences adolescents and young people's emotions, self-esteem and generally mental health.

Material

Questionnaires were redacted by the research team investigating participants’ habits, emotions and health benefits concerning physical activities.

Method

Questionnaires were administered to 150 adolescents, aged 18–20 years old in Technological Educational Institutes, colleges and fitness centers in Patras, Southern Greece during 2015's spring.

Results

Eighty-seven percent of the respondents worked out in fitness centers or in natural environment. Most of them answered that exercise contributed to revitalization and euphoria feelings (63%), stress relief (78%), better self-image, and better health (49%). According to 63% of the adolescents, exercise improved their school performance and 61% of them felt that exercise affected positively mental health.

Conclusions

Present study's results underline physical activities’ benefits in students’ mental health, self-esteem, feelings and school performance being in line with other studies’ results [Biddle et Asare (2011), Ekeland et al. (2005), Brown et al. (2013)]. Restrictions refer mainly to small size sample.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
EW415
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 33 , Issue S1: Abstracts of the 24th European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2016 , pp. s219
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2014

References

Biddle, SJ, Asare, M. Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews. Br J Sports Med 2011;45:886–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirkcaldy, BD, Shephard, RJ, Siefen, RG. The relationship between physical activity and self-image and problem behaviour among adolescents. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatric Epidemiol 2002;37(11):544–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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