“A forward movement into life”: A qualitative study of how, why and when physical activity may benefit depression
“A forward movement into life”: A qualitative study of how, why and when physical activity may benefit depression
Physical activity can help manage depression, but little is known about how, why and when it ‘works’. Few studies have used qualitative methods to explore the change process, which could identify new hypothesised mechanisms and moderators. This qualitative, grounded theory study aimed to elucidate the change process by exploring physical activity experiences among individuals with self-reported and diagnosed depression or low mood who felt it had or had not helped their mood. Twenty-six individuals recruited from one general practice and elsewhere were interviewed about their physical activity experiences. The participants felt physical activity helped their depression through providing a sense of engagement in life and the present, but, as the participants with negative or mixed positive and negative physical activity experiences particularly highlighted, the activity needs to be pleasant and enjoyable to be beneficial. For some, these positive physical activity experiences led them to knowing being active would make them feel good, making it self-reinforcing. This represented a shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivations, which helped them overcome barriers to being active, and some began to use physical activity to self-manage symptoms. We conclude that physical activity may help depression through people feeling more pleasantly engaged in life and that pleasant activities are important in treating depression. Practitioners could encourage individuals to take part in enjoyable physical activities to enhance the depression response and to increase adherence through the development of intrinsic motivations. New hypothesised mediators include enjoyment (also a moderator), reduced anhedonia, and increased flow and mindfulness.
physical activity, Depression, Exercise, mediators, mechanisms, Moderators, Mood, mood disorder, Qualitative study, grounded theory
100-109
Pickett, Karen
1bac9d88-da29-4a3e-9fd2-e469f129f963
Kendrick, Anthony
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
March 2017
Pickett, Karen
1bac9d88-da29-4a3e-9fd2-e469f129f963
Kendrick, Anthony
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
Pickett, Karen, Kendrick, Anthony and Yardley, Lucy
(2017)
“A forward movement into life”: A qualitative study of how, why and when physical activity may benefit depression.
Mental Health and Physical Activity, 12, .
(doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2017.03.004).
Abstract
Physical activity can help manage depression, but little is known about how, why and when it ‘works’. Few studies have used qualitative methods to explore the change process, which could identify new hypothesised mechanisms and moderators. This qualitative, grounded theory study aimed to elucidate the change process by exploring physical activity experiences among individuals with self-reported and diagnosed depression or low mood who felt it had or had not helped their mood. Twenty-six individuals recruited from one general practice and elsewhere were interviewed about their physical activity experiences. The participants felt physical activity helped their depression through providing a sense of engagement in life and the present, but, as the participants with negative or mixed positive and negative physical activity experiences particularly highlighted, the activity needs to be pleasant and enjoyable to be beneficial. For some, these positive physical activity experiences led them to knowing being active would make them feel good, making it self-reinforcing. This represented a shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivations, which helped them overcome barriers to being active, and some began to use physical activity to self-manage symptoms. We conclude that physical activity may help depression through people feeling more pleasantly engaged in life and that pleasant activities are important in treating depression. Practitioners could encourage individuals to take part in enjoyable physical activities to enhance the depression response and to increase adherence through the development of intrinsic motivations. New hypothesised mediators include enjoyment (also a moderator), reduced anhedonia, and increased flow and mindfulness.
Text
Accepted manuscript
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 20 March 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 24 March 2017
Published date: March 2017
Keywords:
physical activity, Depression, Exercise, mediators, mechanisms, Moderators, Mood, mood disorder, Qualitative study, grounded theory
Organisations:
Human Wellbeing, Primary Care & Population Sciences, SHTAC
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 407582
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/407582
ISSN: 1755-2966
PURE UUID: b7f08ffc-9939-418e-8909-5e2d8a0b2b1f
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 16 Apr 2017 16:57
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 05:15
Export record
Altmetrics
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
