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Physical activity in outpatients with mental disorders: status, measurement and social cognitive determinants of health behavior change

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European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Physical activity (PA) can play an important role in improving the mental and physical health in patients with mental disorders but is not well studied in this population. The aim of this study was to assess the status of PA in outpatients with mental disorders, compare the convergence of self-rating and accelerometer measurement and examine the influence of social cognitive variables from the Motivation-Volition (MoVo) model and clinical measures on PA.

Methods

Eighty-four patients were recruited from three psychiatric outpatient clinics and local psychiatrists (Distribution of ICD-10-Diagnoses: F3.x = 59.5%, F4.x = 20.2%, F2.x = 17.9%, F1.x = 2.4%). PA, Self-efficacy, Outcome-expectancies, Intention, Self-concordance, Action- and Coping-planning, Health-related Quality of Life (SF-12) and Psychiatric Symptoms (SCL-27) were assessed through questionnaires. PA was assessed objectively by accelerometers.

Results

Most of the participants did not reach PA recommendations. Subjective and objective measurement of PA showed good accordance for total PA on group level but lower accordance on individual level. Motivational and volitional determinants of health behavior change showed a similar pattern of correlations with PA as in populations without mental disorders.

Conclusion

Outpatients with mental disorders have the ability and are willing to perform PA but a large proportion of our sample did not meet PA recommendations. To assess group levels of PA, subjective and objective measurement seem equally apt, for individual diagnostics, a combination of both should be considered. Social cognitive determinants of health behavior change seem to be as helpful for the design of PA interventions for patients with mental disorders as they are in other populations.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been approved by the local ethics committee, and has therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All participants gave formal written informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Moritz B. Petzold, Sophie Bischoff, Janina Rogoll, Jens Plag & Andreas Ströhle

  2. Department of Psychiatry, St. Hedwig Klinikum, Große Hamburger Straße 5-11, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Christina Terán

  3. Sport and Exercise Psychology, Universität Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469, Potsdam, Germany

    Ralf Brand

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  1. Moritz B. Petzold
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  2. Sophie Bischoff
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Correspondence to Andreas Ströhle.

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Petzold, M.B., Bischoff, S., Rogoll, J. et al. Physical activity in outpatients with mental disorders: status, measurement and social cognitive determinants of health behavior change. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 267, 639–650 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-017-0772-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-017-0772-3

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