Mental Health Awareness Week: the benefits of keeping active
Mental Health Awareness Week 2014 takes place from May 12-18. For one week each May, the Mental Health Foundation campaign around a specific theme for Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety, one of the leading causes of mental ill-health in the world. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) recognises the importance that physical activity has on all our health and well-being.
A new research report by the Mental Health Foundation explores the impact of anxiety on our daily lives: Living with Anxiety. Some of the findings from the report include:
- Nearly 1 in 5 people feel anxious a lot or all the time and, for this group, anxiety is something that almost two-thirds experience on a daily basis.
- Young people and the unemployed are more likely to feel anxious a lot or all the time.
- The prevalence of stigma continues to prevent people from seeking help. More than 1 in 4 agreed that feeling anxious is a sign of not being able to cope and 29% say they would be embarrassed to tell someone they have anxieties.
- Over half of people wish they could be less anxious and nearly a half say anxiety has sometimes stopped them from doing things.
Their CEO, Jenny Edwards, reflects on the findings:
“Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems in the UK and it is increasing: yet it remains under-reported, under-diagnosed and under-treated. A good ability to cope with anxiety is key to our resilience in the face of whatever life throws at us. However, experiencing it too much or too often means we risk becoming overwhelmed. Anxiety at this level can have a truly distressing and debilitating impact on our lives and impact on our physical, as well as mental health. As individuals and as a society we need to be more anxiety aware. If we truly recognised the cost anxiety has on society, as well as the mounting distress it causes to individuals, communities and employers, we would act now”.
Within the report, it addresses the benefits of keeping active and the impact on anxiety. It highlights that studies on participation in leisure activities have shown improvements in self and life satisfaction, which helps in reducing depression and anxiety and enhances a person’s sense of wellbeing (Haworth, 2010), while the evidence about the effectiveness of exercise alone is mixed.
Participation in physical activity and sport has been shown to be effective in reducing depression, anxiety, psychological distress and emotional disturbance. Low to moderate physical exercise can reduce anxiety and have both short and long-term beneficial effects on psychological health. Taking part in sport and spectating can have a positive impact on the wellbeing and happiness of young people (ONS, 2014).
The Lifestyle Report released by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) in September 2013 revealed that people with mental health issues are less engaged in sport and physical activity. The research highlights some stark findings for people with mental health issues, who are much less likely to be engaged in sport compared to people with other impairments:
- Only 56% stated that they enjoyed the last time they played sport compared to 78% of people with other impairments.
- Only 46% see playing sport or being active as important compared to 69% of people with other impairments.
- Only 35% enjoyed PE at school compared to 51% of people with other impairments.
- Only 28% think of themselves as a sporty person compared to 52% of people with other impairments.
- The expense of sport is a significant barrier to participation for people with a mental health issue.
As well as the barriers to sporting participation, EFDS's research also determines a number of opportunities for policymakers and sports providers:
- Unlike people with other impairments who take part because it is fun, the main reason people with mental health issues take part in sport or physical activity is to improve their health.
- Taking part in sport and physical activity alone is much more common among people with mental health issues, who are twice as likely to take part alone (53%), compared to than other impairments (24%).
- People with mental health issues seek sport and physical activity opportunities which require minimal commitment- something which is flexible that focuses on fun and enjoyment that they can take part in alone.
Sport in Mind, an independent mental health charity founded in 2011, points out that this year, one-in-four of us in the United Kingdom will be affected by a mental health problem. Despite this, there is still a tremendous amount of stigma attached to this type of illness. At Sport in Mind® they use sport to assist people in their recovery from illness and raise awareness.
“For years it has been common knowledge that playing regular sport and exercise is beneficial to one's physical health. However, many people are still unaware that exercise can have a positive effect on peoples’ mental health. Extensive research into mental illness has shown us that individuals participating in regular sporting activities have reduced levels of anxiety, improvements in mood and increased self-esteem.”
(Sport in Mind http://sportinmind.org)
EFDS recognises the part sport and physical activity have to play in the lives of people with mental health issues. As well as supporting the sport and fitness sector to be more inclusive, we encourage disabled people to be active at whatever level they choose. EFDS programmes like Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) leads the way in providing accessible physical activity and increasing disabled people’s participation.
IFI aims to help eliminate the fears and insecurities providers often have about disabled people. It provides accessible physical activity and increases participation. EFDS has been delivering the programme for over ten years and in this time has accredited over 400 IFI Mark gym facilities nationally. Those gyms realise how important accessibility and service provision is for disabled people.
Projects like Fitness in Mind are marking the week with a project of fitness classes for people with mental health issues aged 18-25. See the below poster for more information.
Join sport organisations like England Athletics in supporting Mental Health Awareness Week and promoting resources.
Get involved in Mental Health Awareness Week
Download a Mental Health Awareness Week supporter kit to help you get the most out of the week. The kit includes:
- information about anxiety
- ways to get involved
- advice on how to raise awareness
- tips on helping those in your community
Find out how to support Mental Health Awareness Week 2014 online.
Download print-ready files for the Are you Anxiety Aware? booklet:
Are you Anxiety Aware? A guide to living with Anxiety - Booklet Cover (download print-quality PDF)
Are you Anxiety Aware? A guide to living with Anxiety - Booklet Pages (download print-quality PDF)
