Mental Health Benefits Research Articles

Associations between stigma and depression among college-attending women with endometriosis symptoms

Background: Endometriosis is a debilitating and highly stigmatized chronic condition. The relationship between stigma and depressive symptoms among college-attending women with endometriosis symptoms was examined. Method: Data were analyzed from a cross-sectional online survey of undergraduate women (N = 424). Mean anticipated, internalized, and enacted stigma values were calculated. Logistic regression assessed the relationship between stigma score and depressive symptoms. Results: Mean stigma scores were 1.98 (anticipated), 1.46 (internalized), and 1.59 (enacted) on a 5-point scale (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest); 24.1% reported moderately severe/severe depressive symptoms. In adjusted models, stigma was associated with an increased likelihood of moderately severe/severe depressive symptoms (anticipated (aOR = 1.96, 95% CI:1.49–2.59); internalized (aOR =2.67, 95% CI: 1.88–3.85); enacted (aOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.16–1.42)). Conclusion: College attending-women with endometriosis symptoms experience stigma which is significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Stigma reducing interventions are warranted and may have mental health benefits.

Reallocating time between movement behaviors has implications for post-secondary students’ mental health and wellbeing

Objective: Examine the theoretical impact of reallocating time between self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), recreational screen time, and sleep on psychological distress and mental wellbeing among post-secondary students. Participants: 24,742 post-secondary students (M age=24.3 ± 7.72 SD years; 66.4% women) from Cycle 1 of the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey. Methods: Cross-sectional isotemporal substitution modeling. Results: Replacing 20 min of screen time with either sleep or MVPA was associated with lower psychological distress, greater mental wellbeing, lower odds of reporting mild-to-severe psychological distress and low mental wellbeing, except for reallocating screen time to sleep among students who exceed the sleep guideline recommendations. Reallocating time between sleep and MVPA revealed noteworthy patterns: replacing sleep with MVPA was associated with greater mental wellbeing but not lower psychological distress. Conclusions: Findings highlight the potential mental health benefits of replacing screen time with sleep or MVPA as an integrative whole day approach to promote campus wellness.

Living with COPD and its psychological effects on participating in community-based physical activity in Brazil: a qualitative study. Findings from the Breathe Well group

Physical activity (PA) improves dyspnoea, psychological wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) for people with COPD reducing their risk of exacerbation. However, engagement in PA is low especially amongst those with anxiety and depression, and PA programmes are limited in countries with limited resources such as Brazil. We explored perceptions of 21 people with COPD about the impact of their disease on taking part in community-based PA programmes in Sao Paulo, Brazil through semi-structured telephone interviews from October 2020 to April 2021. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the Framework method. Five themes were identified: Knowledge about COPD and its management; Self-perception of life with COPD; Knowledge and experiences of depression and anxiety; Opinions on PA and repercussions of COVID-19. PA was considered to be important in bringing physical and mental health benefits but there were barriers in accessibility of formal PR programmes and therefore local community PA programmes were considered to be important. People with mental health conditions tended to view PA more negatively. COVID-19 had reduced PA opportunities, access to COPD treatment and social interaction, and was associated with more exacerbations and emotional suffering. In general, this study showed an urgent need to improve knowledge about COPD and its risk factors and management among both patients, the public and primary healthcare professionals. We provide important content for the formulation of public policies for the implementation of specific activity programmes for people with COPD in community spaces using local resources and intersectoral partnerships.

Establishing an indoor garden and seed library in an academic library

Indoor green spaces are increasing in popularity in many sectors, including libraries. While the benefits for mental health and well-being are well documented, indoor gardens are often cost-prohibitive to establish and maintain, due to infrastructure requirements. This article outlines how an academic health sciences library planned and implemented an indoor garden and seed library with minimal ongoing cost commitments and no permanent space requirements. The initiative has been very well received, and the level of engagement is high. Challenges faced both pre- and post-implementation will be discussed along with future directions for the initiative.

Exploring community gardens on mental well-being among urban dwellers in Lagos, Nigeria

Purpose: In Lagos, Nigeria, Rapid urbanization raises serious concerns about mental well-being due to limited green spaces and social isolation; hence, this qualitative study aims to investigate the experiences of individuals engaged in community gardens and their effect on mental health. Method: This research uses semi-structured interviews with five individuals engaged in Lagos community gardens to thoroughly investigate their influence on mental well-being. Result: The findings demonstrate an increased social connection, improved mood, and reduced stress, through nature contact, and gardening. Also, the findings review that community gardens contributed to overall well-being, provided opportunities for mindfulness, and physical activity, and facilitated a sense of belonging Conclusion: The novelty of the research is that it sheds light on the specific experiences of Nigerians in community gardens and their perceived mental health benefits, thereby, pinpointing the potential of these spaces in tackling the urban mental health issues. This systematic study informs the development of culturally relevant community gardens as accessible interventions to enhance mental well-being in Lagos and similar urban settings.

Yoga fitness with middle-aged women: benefits for physical and mental health

Physical education of adults is important for maintaining their health. The choice of directions for the use of means of physical education should be based on the prevailing needs for motor activity of persons of mature age. The goal is to develop and experimentally substantiate the methodology of yoga classes for women aged 21-35. Participants Women 21-35 years old. Methods. Psychodiagnostics, movement testing, pedagogical experiment. Intervention. The method of yoga classes with middle-aged women has been developed and tested. The peculiarity of the proposed method is connected with the systematic use of original sets of yoga gymnastics exercises. The developed complexes were applied taking into account the successive increase in exposure and were used in accordance with the solution of specific training tasks. The results. The effectiveness of the proposed format of using yogic gymnastics exercises to improve indicators of the physical and psychological state of middle-aged women has been established. The improvement of performance characteristics, the cardiorespiratory system and the normalization of the psychological state of the participants under the influence of the applied sets of exercises were recorded. Discussion. Systematic yoga classes in the format of using developed sets of exercises were to determine their effectiveness in improving physical conditions and improving the psychological state of middle- aged women. The selected physical exercises belonged to the field of mental fitness and were stato-dynamic in nature. Accordingly, the mild effect of the classes on women who do not regularly engage in fitness should be related to the improvement of physical conditions, and meditative practices were associated with expectations regarding the normalization of the psychological state of the participants. The obtained results confirmed the stated expectations and do not contradict the results of similar studies. Conclusions. The established features of building effective yoga classes with middle-aged women allow us to recommend this type of fitness as an affordable means of improving the health of this contingent of people. The obtained results contribute to the further search for possibilities of detailing the program of yoga classes with middle-aged women in order to expand the range of tasks of physical education of this continent of people.

Mental health, wellbeing and coping strategies of autistic adults during isolation

Purpose The negative effects of loneliness and isolation on mental health and wellbeing on the neurotypical population are well documented. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the effects of isolation on the mental health and wellbeing of autistic adults who were separated from friends and family for an extended period. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted shortly after the lifting of the third UK lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic with a sample of 7 people (mean age, 35) formally diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Findings The study explored effects stemming from the absence of social interaction. Thematic analysis led to the creation of three themes: The first, “Context affects perception of isolation: I’m going to continue on with my life as much as I possibly can” shows a negative impact on wellbeing, perceived through the filter of larger issues resulting from lockdown and the necessity of isolation. The second, “Being alone can be comfortable: Lockdown has been good for me” discusses the mental health benefits of isolation and participants feeling of being “primed” for that isolation. The third, “Challenges from isolation: ‘Changing routine’” explores the changes people made while isolated, with a focus on coping strategies and communication. Originality/value Findings reveal the importance of supporting autistic adults to maintain social contact during and after isolation and contradict research suggesting autistic people are not motivated to seek social interaction.

Acceptance as a possible link between past psychedelic experiences and psychological flexibility

Increased psychological flexibility (PF) may underlie the lasting positive effects of psychedelic experiences on mental well-being. The associations between different components of PF, psychological inflexibility (PI), and well-being with psychedelic use are not well understood. We conducted a cross-sectional internet survey of participants (N = 629) with experience of classical psychedelics. Using network analysis, we examined how aspects of a single psychedelic experience (mystical-type features and psychological insights) and the frequency of past psychedelic use, were associated with current PF and PI components, as well as with mental well-being and ill-being. Mediation analyses explored whether PF mediated the relationship between past psychedelic use and well-being or ill-being. The network analysis linked psychological insight to the PF component Acceptance, with no association found between the frequency of past use and PF. Mediation analyses showed PF mediates the association between past psychedelic use and well-being and ill-being. These results suggest that the quality and depth of the psychedelic experience, rather than the frequency of use, are primarily linked to psychological flexibility, particularly Acceptance, and overall well-being. This underscores the importance of treating PF as a multidimensional construct to better understand the long-term mental health benefits of psychedelics.

A Comprehensive Overview on Sustainable Vegetable Gardening: Eco-friendly Approaches to Home Grown Production

Sustainable vegetable gardening is an eco-friendly practice that integrates organic farming principles, resource conservation, and biodiversity promotion to produce nutritious, chemical-free food while minimizing environmental impact. This approach emphasizes soil health through the use of organic amendments, crop rotation, composting, and mulching to improve fertility and water retention. Water conservation techniques, such as drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting, are employed to optimize water use, especially in arid regions. Pest and disease management relies on integrated pest management (IPM), biological controls, companion planting, and the use of organic pesticides to reduce chemical input while maintaining crop health. Sustainable homegrown produce has been shown to have superior nutritional content compared to commercially grown produce, and the avoidance of synthetic chemicals reduces the risk of pesticide residue exposure. Gardening fosters healthy eating habits by connecting individuals to their food sources, encouraging the consumption of fresh, unprocessed vegetables, and contributing to food security. The mental and physical health benefits of gardening, including reduced stress, increased physical activity, and improved mental well-being, further highlight its holistic value. However, challenges such as the initial setup costs, time investment, pest management, and knowledge gaps can hinder widespread adoption. Addressing these challenges requires greater access to resources, educational initiatives, and the development of climate-resilient practices tailored to specific regions. Future trends in sustainable gardening include the adoption of technological innovations, such as smart irrigation systems, automation, and vertical farming, which offer scalable solutions for urban and small-scale gardeners. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of resilient, local food systems, and sustainable gardening is poised to play a critical role in addressing future food security concerns.

Urban green space, perceived everyday discrimination and mental health among rural-to-urban migrants: a multilevel analysis in Wuhan, China

BackgroundWhile the mental health benefits of urban green spaces (UGS) are increasingly recognized, less is known about how these relationships vary for socially marginalized groups. This study investigates the association between UGS and mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in Wuhan, China, examining the roles of the quality and quantity of UGS and the intermediary function of perceived everyday discrimination.MethodsWe used Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling to analyze data from a social survey, integrating with park-related social media ratings, street view imagery, and geospatial datasets to characterize UGS features and contextual factors, therefore verifying our hypotheses.ResultsBoth the quality and quantity of UGS significantly influence migrants’ mental health, with quantity demonstrating a stronger overall correlation, challenging common assumptions. Notably, social media scores of parks, reflecting positive user experiences, were found to improve mental health. However, the relationship with UGS quantity was nuanced: higher park density and green view index were positively associated with mental health, while increased park area proportion demonstrated the opposite effect. Furthermore, perceived discrimination emerged as a critical socio-psychological factor and operated spatial heterogeneity. In inner-city areas, neighborhoods characterized by plaza-type parks and high park density were associated with reduced perceived discrimination among migrants, showing active social functions of UGS. However, larger park areas are paradoxically correlated with increased discrimination experiences and poorer mental health. Interestingly, this mediatory effect of perceived discrimination was less pronounced in inner-suburban areas. These findings suggest a nuanced role of UGS in the lives of migrants. While certain aspects of UGS quantity, such as plentiful smaller parks, can facilitate social inclusion and improve mental health, others, like overlarge parks, may unintentionally contribute to feelings of marginalization and negatively impact mental health.ConclusionOur findings highlight the crucial need for context-sensitive green space planning that balances quality and quantity while mitigating discriminatory experiences to improve the mental health of rural-to-urban migrants.

Is greener always healthier? Examining the nonlinear relationships between urban green spaces and mental health in Wuhan, China

Though much evidence demonstrates the benefits of urban green spaces (UGS) for mental health, it remains uncertain if a greener living environment necessarily leads to better mental health. This study makes up this gap by exploring the potential non-linear effects of UGS provision (availability, accessibility, visibility, quality) and utilization (frequency, duration) on mental health, focusing on their nonlinear patterns and thresholds. Using geospatial and social survey data from Wuhan, China, and controlling for socioeconomic, built, and social environmental factors, we find that: (1) Both UGS provision and utilization have significant nonlinear effects on mental health. (2) Inverted-U-shaped relationships exist between mental health and both UGS availability (measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) and accessibility (distance to nearest park), with peak benefits observed at an NDVI of 0.25 or a distance of 0.24 km. A similar L-shaped relationship is observed for UGS visibility, suggesting that higher visibility does not necessarily translate to improved mental health. The positive health effects of UGS quality exist, yet offer marginal benefits. (3) UGS utilization plays a crucial mediating role, explaining up to 47 % of the relationship between visibility and mental health. This highlights the importance of active engagement with UGS for realizing mental health benefits, supporting the ‘environmental provision→individual behavior→mental health’ pathway. These findings provide urban planners with valuable dosage references for UGS allocation, emphasizing the need to consider both provision and factors promoting utilization to maximize mental health benefits within urban environments.

Secular trends of physical fitness in Austrian children attending sports schools: An analysis of repeated cross-sections from 2006 to 2023

BackgroundPhysical fitness (PF) offers numerous physical and mental health benefits, especially during childhood. Previous studies investigating trends in children's PF over the years reported contradictory findings. ObjectiveTo identify and analyse secular trends in PF among Austrian schoolchildren from 2006 to 2023. MethodA repeated cross-sections design was used to examine the PF of children enrolling in sports schools between 2006 and 2023. During this period, a standardized eight-item motor performance testing battery was administered yearly to capture markers of strength, speed, endurance, agility and reaction time in Austrian schools. ResultsA total of n = 3827 children (996 girls) with a mean age of 9.9 ± 1.0 years were included. Linear mixed models indicated significant declines in sprint performance (5, 10, 20 m), tapping, jump (long jump and drop jump), throwing (medicine ball), and agility (snake run). No changes were observed in cardiorespiratory fitness (8 min run) or reaction time. ConclusionThere has been a steady decline in PF among Austrian children attending sports schools. This finding underscores the need for enhanced PF monitoring and training in schools to improve public health outcomes.

Re-thinking human interactions with the oceans.

Earth's marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, in large part owing to the damaging effects of human activities. Unless humans find better ways of interacting with the seas and oceans, the marine resources upon which we rely will diminish as more ecosystems collapse. The consequences for human health and wellbeing will be severe. The meta-discipline of Oceans and Human Health has catalogued how the oceans and their constituents benefit human lives. Examples include access to seafood, pharmaceuticals and physical and mental health benefits. This interdisciplinary research effort has also revealed how the integrated impact of anthropogenic activities has disrupted ocean processes resulting in extensive losses of marine biodiversity, increasing chemical and microbial pollution, proliferation of harmful algal blooms and increased coastal inundation, all of which threaten human populations. In response, non-governmental organizations and national governments have established various agreements and treaties to prevent further damage, restore what has been lost and grasp new economic opportunities. Nevertheless, ocean-related risks continue to escalate rapidly in the absence of political commitment. New thinking regarding the interconnectedness of all human/ocean interactions is required to remove the barriers and impediments that hamper tackling the wicked problem of fostering health and wellbeing while achieving ocean sustainability.

Challenges and barriers in conducting school-based physical activity research: A narrative review

ABSTRACT Physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous mental and physical health benefits. But it has been observed that young people and children frequently participate in low levels of PA, which is especially noticeable when they progress from primary to secondary school. Thus, in order to improve physical health among school-going children, different schools should put in place school-based PA intervention programs. The researchers designing PA intervention protocols for school children encounter various challenges during implementation; hence, this narrative review determines the challenges and barriers faced by the researchers during data collection on PA of school-going adolescent children. The review highlighted the challenges encountered during implementation of school-based PA and fitness among school children. The key issues mentioned in the review involved problems related to communication with schools, recruitment of participants along with the informed consent, implementation and data collection, environment of school, and barriers to PA in school. The documentation of these difficulties can help advance knowledge of the researchers and their efficacy, which will finally result in the development of strengthened and close relationships with school-based educational institutions, leading to implementation of intervention protocols and enhancing physical fitness in school children.

The Gut: The Body’s Second Brain

The term “gut health” has become popular in medical literature and the food industry. Gut health includes a variety of aspects of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which include proper digestion and absorption of nutrients, absence of GI illness, normal intestinal microbiota, and adequate immune status (Bischoff 2011). The gut microbiome has become a potential therapeutic target for mental illness because gut bacteria has been shown to play a crucial role in gut-brain communication through the influence on neural, immune, and endocrine pathways (Butler et al. 2019). Studies have shown that various environmental factors related to diet, drugs, and anthropometric measures are more significant determinants of gut microbiota than heritable components. This comic provides an overview of the gut microbiome and gut-brain communication. We summarize the current evidence-based solutions that can improve gut-microbiome diversity and provide practical advice for patients seeking probiotic elements for mental health benefits.

Principal sensory experiences of forest visitors in four countries, for evidence‐based nature therapy

Abstract To advance the theoretical and practical underpinnings for nature therapies, i.e. nature exposure as a means to improve mental health, we compared the most memorable sensory experiences reported by forest tourists in Australia, Chile, China and Japan. Sensory experiences are a fundamental driver of the psychological effects of nature exposure. We first reviewed relevant research from each country and language. We then conducted 100 on‐site interviews in Australia, 100 in Chile, and >500 in China, and compiled 1000 relevant social media posts from Japan. We analysed these datasets using directed‐content qualitative thematic analyses, both in original languages and in translated texts, and compared outcomes from each country. The key sensory experiences are universal: sights of plant shapes and colours; sounds of birdsong, running water and rustling leaves; smells of flowers, trees, and earth; taste and temperature of clean air and water; and touch of bark and rocks. Participants gave detailed descriptions of each. These fine‐grained but widespread experiences are our principal finding. These sensory experiences are at a scale that is broad enough to apply for prescriptible nature therapies in any forested region, but fine enough to be used in future quantitative research to test therapeutic designs, doses and durations. This distinguishes them from prior research, that is either too broad or too fine in scale for practical therapy design. Future research aiming to maximise the mental health benefits of nature may not need to distinguish different countries and cultures, but may need to differentiate nature experiences more finely and precisely than in most therapy‐related research to date. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Better sleep, lower blood pressure, and less stress following sex: Findings from a large-scale ecological momentary assessment study.

Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that more (vs. less) sexually active individuals tend to be mentally and physically healthier, but little is known about the proximal mechanisms underlying such associations. We analyzed two experience sampling data sets (N = 8,452, 66,181 observations; 72% male, age M = 46.42, 76% White) to examine changes in sleep, cardiovascular responses, and affect in the morning following sex, putative processes implicated in long-term mental and physical health benefits of sex. Consistent with previous findings, our results showed significant between-person associations, suggesting more positive daily health outcomes for more sexually active individuals. Further, we found significant within-person associations suggesting that when people reported having (vs. not having) sex the previous night, they experienced better sleep quality, fewer sleep disturbances and shorter wake after sleep onset, lower blood pressure, less stress, more positive affect, and better coping in the morning. None of these associations were moderated by gender or relationship status. Our findings provide novel evidence suggesting short-term psychological and physiological benefits of sex, which may accrue to create better health over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Greater social network complexity mitigates pandemic-related negativity

Having strong, diverse social relationships is tightly linked to myriad physical and mental health benefits by mitigating the negative impacts of adverse events. The COVID-19 pandemic brought increased uncertainty and changes to our social lives that reduced the spread of COVID-19 (e.g., social distancing), but also likely impacted emotional well-being. We investigated how one of these changes – changing social networks – relates to emotional bias (a proxy for well-being), specifically one’s tendency to interpret ambiguous stimuli as positive or negative (i.e., valence bias). Participants ( N = 614) categorized the valence of clearly (e.g., angry and happy expressions) and ambiguously valenced stimuli (e.g., surprised expressions), and were asked about their social network before and during the pandemic. Compared to before the pandemic, participants reported a decrease in overall network size ( p < .001) and number of embedded networks (i.e., a measure of network complexity represented by number of areas of social activity; p < .001). In a model with all three social network dimensions (size, complexity, diversity), network complexity uniquely predicted valence bias ( p = .02). Specifically, participants with greater social network complexity during the pandemic showed a more positive bias. Further, participants that did not experience a pandemic-related reduction in network complexity were protected from pandemic-related increases in negativity ( p < .001). In other words, having a more complex social network could act as a protective factor against adverse outcomes in times of uncertainty.

Physical Activity as a Protective Factor Against Depression Incidence and as a Treatment for Depression

Abstract Introduction: Depression is one of the most common and serious mental health disorders that negatively affects how you feel, think, and act. This syndrome is characterized by stress and emotion dysregulation, involving compromised structural integrity of frontal-limbic networks.It causes persistent feelings of sadness and a lack of interest in activities once enjoyed. Effective treatments, including therapy and medication, are available and can help manage the symptoms and improve quality of life. The aspect of physical activity as a component of depression treatment is currently being intensively studied. Purpose of work: This work provides a review of the knowledge on the relationship between physical activity and depression. Summary: Depression has a profound impact on the personal life, relationships, and work of those affected by the condition. Pharmacological and psychological interventions remain the cornerstone of treatment. However, these treatments do not produce the desired effects in all patients. This article presents the conclusion that physical exercise, as an alternative method for preventing and treating depression, is effective. The recent literature also suggests significant mental health benefits from being physically active, even at levels below the public health recommendations. Therefore, health practitioners should encourage any increase in physical activity to enhance mental health.

Association of Physical Activity and Psychological Distress in Adolescents

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for the development of health-related behaviors and the onset of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and stress. Physical activity has been associated with improved mental health, but its specific relationship with psychological distress in adolescents remains unclear.Objective: To evaluate the association between physical activity levels and psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression) in adolescents.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 109 adolescents aged 14-19 years from the University of Lahore and Beacon House School System, Valencia Campus, Lahore. Participants were recruited through non-probability convenience sampling. Psychological distress was assessed using the DASS-21, and physical activity levels were measured with the PAQ-A. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation and Chi-square tests via SPSS version 23.Results: Significant but weak negative correlations were found between physical activity and stress (Spearman’s rho = -0.236, p = 0.013) and depression (Spearman’s rho = -0.219, p = 0.022). The association with anxiety was not significant (p = 0.075).Conclusion: Higher physical activity levels were associated with lower stress and depression among adolescents, suggesting potential mental health benefits of regular exercise.