leisure mental health

Depression and Leisure time physical activity (LTPA)

About 27% of college students reported being diagnosed with depression, according to the spring 2023 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment survey (1).

A recent study looked at how depression could be impacted by leisure time physical activity as the semester progresses (2).

Who was studied? (2)

488 1st and 2nd year college students

What was the studied?

  • Depression was measured using the patient health questionnaire 9, a validated instrument to measure depression (3).
  • Leisure time physical activity was measured using the Godin-Shephard Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (4)
  • The key question asked was:  “During a typical 7-day period (a week), how many times on average do you do the following kinds of exercise for more than 15 min during your free time?” and then they respond to PA intensity related statements:
    • Vigorous-intensity LTPA (heart beats rapidly), such as running, soccer, vigorous swimming;
    • Moderate-intensity LTPA (not exhausting), such as tennis, easy swimming, folk dancing; and
    • Light-intensity LTPA (minimal effort), such as badminton, walking, yoga, bowling.

What were the results?

  • The study found that increasing light-intensity LTPA could decrease the elevation in depressive symptoms over time, regardless of initial level, when also accounting for covariances.
  • Surprisingly, vigorous and moderate intensity LTPA did not alter the depression slope as the semester progressed.

What are some caveats?

  • This is 1 small study.
  • Further research is needed.
  • Study population was College students at a university in China, which may not generalize to students in other countries.
  • Results relied on self report and may not match objective measures of activity.

Other resources:

https://ccs.osu.edu/outreach-and-education/outreach/campus-events/recess

Enter your email above to be notified of future posts.

By R. Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III: Reference Group Executive Summary Spring 2023. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2023.
  2. BoShen , Gaoyuan Cui & Jin Bo (2023) How does change in leisure-time physical activity influence the growth trajectory of depressive symptoms in college students?, Journal of American College Health, DOI: 1080/07448481.2023.2252503
  3. Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606–613. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.
  4. Godin G, Shephard RJ. Godin leisure-time exercise questionnaire. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997;29:36–38.

Being outdoors for mental health

With the weather improving, it may be easier to spend more time outside.

While there are many options for mental health treatment, a recent study looked at whether being outside can benefit for mental health (1).

What was the study? (1)

  • Ibes and Forestell (1) studied 234 undergraduate students.
  • Participants engaged in 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation or a control task, either in a campus park-like setting or in a quiet room indoors.
  • Before and after the activity, total mood disturbance (TMD) was assessed with the Profile of Mood States Questionnaire.

What were the results? (1)

  • In this study, they found (1) that when participants sat for 20 minutes in a greenspace located in a central campus location, they experienced a significant reduction in mood disturbance relative to those who sat inside.
  • Participants were near car traffic, foot traffic, and campus activities.
  • During the study, temperature ranged (i.e., from the mid-40s to upper 80 s, in degrees Fahrenheit) for outdoor participants.
  • A significant reduction in mood disturbance was noted regardless of whether they engaged in meditation or the control activity (sitting).

Other thoughts:

By R. Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Permission to use/cite this article: contact patel.2350@osu.edu

 Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. Dorothy C. Ibes & Catherine A. Forestell (2022) The role of campus greenspace and meditation on college students’ mood disturbance, Journal of American College Health, 70:1, 99-106, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1726926

Team Sports and Mental Health

Over the last several years, college campuses have experienced increasing demand for mental health services (1).

A 2021 survey from the American College Health Association showed 75% of survey participants reported moderate to serious psychological distress (2)

While there are many options for mental health treatment, a recent study looked at the potential benefits of team sports (3).

What was the study? (1)

A meta analysis (1) looking at 371 queried articles, 34 studies from 10 countries across 4 continents (3).

What were the results? (1)

The results of this review article showed the following benefits of team sports (3):

  • 5 studies showed that sport participation was associated with decreased depression/anxiety rates (OR 0.59, 95%CI 0.54–0.64). (3)
  • 7 studies showed improved social health outcomes with team sport participation. (Social health outcomes included academic performance, commitment, psychosocial health, social behavior/identity, and delinquency/high-risk activity. (3)
  • 5 studies showed that team sport participation decreased rates of cigarette/tobacco use (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.69–0.76) (3).
  • 7 studies showed that team sports participation decreased alcohol/drug use (1) (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.69–0.77). (3)

What are some team sports options on campus?

  • Take a class involving team sports for course credit.
  • Join a team through OSU rec sports.
  • Play a team sport with friends on a regular basis.

Other thoughts:

  • You don’t have to be very athletic to participate in recreational sports.
  • Some students join team sports as a substitute/extra player so that you don’t have to play every week.
  • Some students may not be able to participate in team sports due to scheduling limitations.
  • Some students may find it stressful to participate in team sports.
  • Check with your health professional if participating in team sports is appropriate for you.

By R. Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

If you would like to be notified about future monthly posts, enter your email and click the subscribe button above.

 Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.  Permission to use/cite this article: contact patel.2350@osu.edu

References:

  1. https://ccmh.psu.edu/assets/docs/2021-CCMH-Annual-Report.pdf
  2. American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III: Reference Group Executive Summary Spring 2021. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2021.
  3. Scott L. Zuckerman, Alan R. Tang, Kelsey E. Richard, Candace J. Grisham, Andrew W. Kuhn, Christopher M. Bonfield & Aaron M. Yengo-Kahn(2021) The behavioral, psychological, and social impacts of team sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 49:3, 246-261, DOI: 1080/00913847.2020.1850152