The role of physical activity on psychological distress and health-related quality of life for people with comorbid mental illness and health conditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT People with mental illness not only suffer from psychiatric symptoms but also have higher chances of having chronic diseases. Due to medical comorbidity, they tend to experience the decreased health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The benefits of physical activity are well known, but few studies have examined the role of physical activity between medical comorbidity and HRQOL among people with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical activity on psychological distress, medical comorbidity, and HRQOL. A total of 3,797 individuals with mental illness were selected from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Analyses included multiple regression, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping to examine a moderated mediation effect. Medical comorbidity affects HRQOL as it is mediated by decreased psychological distress. Higher levels of physical activity diminished the impact of medical comorbidity on psychological distress, which in turn decreased the negative impact of medical comorbidity on HRQOL. Study findings highlight that increased levels of physical activity could benefit people with mental illness in decreasing psychological distress and improving HRQOL. The findings suggest that mental health service providers and stakeholders need to consider integrating physical activity interventions into services and comprehensive psychiatric rehabilitation.