The effects of physical activity on psychological well-being for those with schizophrenia: A systematic review

Abstract

This paper systematically reviews the existing evidence of the effects of physical activity on psychological well-being for those with schizophrenia. A search of 15 databases including for example, PsycINFO, SportDiscus, and Science Direct was conducted to identify studies investigating the effects of physical activity on psychological well-being for those with schizophrenia. The included studies were then assessed, extracted, and synthesized. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria: 12 quantitative and 3 qualitative. The physical activity interventions lasted between 3 and 20 weeks and included a wide range of physical activities. The instruments used to measure psychological well-being varied across all studies, this along with the variety of study designs made statistical analysis impossible. The findings of this systematic review however, suggest that physical activity has a beneficial effect on some attributes associated with psychological well-being in individuals with schizophrenia. © 2010 The British Psychological Society.