Physical Activity Plus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Can Decrease Anxiety Symptoms and Insomnia Severity Among Individuals With Poor Sleep Quality

Abstract

Background and Objective During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were increased reports of sleep problems. Individuals with poor sleep quality are at particular risk of reporting symptoms of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life, along with substance abuse. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of combined physical activity and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on anxiety and depressive symptoms and insomnia severity among individuals with poor sleep quality. Methods Participants were 60 males and females with mean age (standard deviation) of 39.29 (5.82) years. Participants were randomly divided into 4 groups of 1) physical activity, 2) ACT, 3) combination of physical activity and ACT, and 4) control. The study consisted of four stages: pre-test, interventions, post-test, and follow-up. Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to assess time by group interactions. Results The results showed that the symptoms of anxiety and depression and sleep problems were reduced for the physical activity, ACT, and combined groups, compared to the control group (p = 0.001). Superiority in all outcomes of the combined group was shown, compared to the other groups. Conclusions The present findings suggest that among individuals with poor sleep quality, combined physical activity and ACT intervention has the potential to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and insomnia severity. It further appears that health organizers should pay more attention to physical activity interventions in individuals with poor sleep quality.