im mental

Question 1

What is mental health?

Answer 1

a state of well-being
-more than absence of mental illness

An individual:
-realizes personal potential
-can cope with normal stresses of life
-can work productively and fruitfully
-is able to make a contribution to the community

Question 2

What is mental illness?

Answer 2

-seen in mental disorders

Characterized by:
-alterations in thinking, mood and/or behaviour, associated with distress and/or impaired functioning

ex. depression, anxiety, substance abuse, disordered eating

Question 3

What is the spectrum of mental health and mental illness?

Answer 3

Question 4

Why do we care?

Answer 4

1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental health problem or illness

Costs the Canadian economy over $50 billion per year

Is impactful on individual and societal levels

Question 5

Anxiety and depression

Answer 5

-two of the most common illnesses

-50% rate of comorbidity

-People with substance use problems are 3x more likely to experience a mental illness

Question 6

What is depression and what are the requirements for diagnosis?

Answer 6

Major depressive episode:
-depressed mood or loss interest in activities for > 2 wks
-WHO projects that depression will be 2nd to Card. Vasc. disease as world’s leading cause of death/disability by 2020

Question 7

What are anxiety disorders?

What do you need to be diagnosed?

Answer 7

-overreaction to normal stimuli
-umbrella term for a range of disorders
-characterized by feelings of fear and anxiety
ex. panic disorder, social phobia, GAD, OCD

Symptoms need to:
-decrease functioning
-be present for >6months
-be more than would be expected for the situation

Question 8

What are the options for treating mental health problems?

Answer 8

-psychotherapy/cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
-group support/therapy
-medication
-exercise
-particularly for depression
-similar effect sizes as other treatment options

Question 9

Physical activity for mental health

Answer 9

-any levels can help prevent mental illness

-more PA may result in lower risk for mental illness

-can be used as a population-based promotion strategy

-“win-win”: enhances both physical/mental health

Question 10

What are the 4 functions of mental health and physical activity?

Answer 10

1. Preventative
2. Treatment
3. Quality of life
4. Feel good

Question 11

Preventative function

Answer 11

**Exercise has been seen to prevent poor mental health **
-seen mostly in depression
-occasionally anxiety and dementia
-improves self esteem
-lowers psychological distress

Question 12

The treatment function

Answer 12

Exercise can be used as a treatment approach for mental health problems

-exercise has similar effects to other treatments

-aerobic and anaerobic exercise is impactful

-exercise is not a replacement but can be used in conjunction with other treatments

-need to know method and dosage

Question 13

The quality of life function

Answer 13

Exercise can help improve quality of life in serious illness and regular life

-helps with cardiovascular and metabolic disease

-helps reduce mortality and morbidity

Question 14

The feel good function

Answer 14

Affect - exercise can help people “feel good”

Self esteem - physical activity impactful on self-esteem domains

Question 15

Exercise + wellbeing

Answer 15

For those with serious mental illness (bipolar/schiz):
-evidence supports exercise as preferred and effective treatment in reducing symptoms
-exercise wont ‘cure’ but may help with coping

For those with chronic physical disabilities (spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis)
-exercise is preferred and effective treatment in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing quality of life

Question 16

What are the exercise and wellbeing theories?

Answer 16

Question 17

Physiological mechanisms: Endorphin Hypothesis

Answer 17

endorphins: peptides that mimic chemical structure of morphine

-regulates emotion and pain perception

-endorphins ease pain/produce euphoria

-mixed evidence

Question 18

Physiological mechanisms: Neurotrophin Hypothesis

Answer 18

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF): proteins involved in the development of neurons and adult brain plasticity

Poor BDNF levels related to a range of illnesses/disorders (Ex. depression, schizophrenia, anorexia, dementia)

Exercise can stimulate BDNF synthesis healthy neurogenesis, improved cognitive functioning (Act as ‘natural’ antidepressant)

Question 19

physiological mechanisms: monoamine hypothesis

Answer 19

-improved affect associated with exercise is explained by changes in one or more of the brain monoamines
-dopamine, (nor)epinephrine, and serotonin

-some evidence from animal (rat) studies
-newer (fMRI) techniques might allow us to look at this in humans going forward

Question 20

psychological mechanisms: thermogenic hypothesis

Answer 20

-speculates elevated body temp is related to improved mental health

-increase in body temperature -> increases white blood cells -> kills bacteria/viruses associated with nagging illnesses = improves mental health

-may also be associated with anti-inflammatory response

-pyrogenic response may explain why regular exercisers report fewer/less severe colds/flus

-mixed evidence

Question 21

psychological mechanisms: distraction hypothesis

Answer 21

-exercise provides a “time out” from daily routine, stressors

-we can forget about our troubles (even just temporarily)

-some support for hypothesis, though there are other ways to distract oneself

Question 22

Self-efficacy with PA and mental health

Answer 22

Question 23

Sedentary behaviour, what is it and what are the 3 main domains?

Answer 23

-any waking behaviour characterized by an energy expenditure of greater than 1.5 METs while in a sitting or reclining posture

-differs from physical inactivity

-worsened by modern life
1. Occupation

2. Leisure time
3. Transportation

Question 24

Sedentary Behaviour and mental health

Answer 24

-higher risk of depressive symptoms

-the mechanisms are not currently known, however a few mechanisms are suspected:

1. Social isolation
2. Could be related to cardiometabolic health