PA & Mental Health Flashcards
(36 cards)
what is mental health?
- state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well and contribute to their community
- it is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.
- mental health is basic human right
mental health prior to covid:
- in any year, 1 in ___ adults
- by age 40, 1 in ____
- leading cause of what
- what ages at peak vulnerability
- onset when
- affects who?
- 1 in 5 adults
- by age 40, 1 in 2
- leading cause of disability
- 15 to 24 year olds at peak vulnerability
- onset in childhood and adolescence (70%)
- affects people of all ages, educational and income levels and cultures –> up to 67% of homeless + people with substance use problems
what are the devastating consequences of bad mental health? (4)
- 280M experienced depression
- economic burden: 51B
- 4000 canadians die by suicide (11/d) –> indigenous groups 5-6x higher
- reduces life expectancy up to 20 years (depression = increase risk of CVD)
what can be said to be the cause of depression, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis? ish
systemic inflammation!
- in brain = depression
- in gut/endocrine = diabetes
- in bones = rheumatoid arthritis
during covid, clear relationship between what (2) and when people had worse mental health/increased anxiety
- who were the hardest hit (2)
- during restrictions/closedowns + cumulative burden increased depression
- youngest people + increases in mental health impact were higher among females than males
what are the impacts of COVID-19 on college students? (7)
- difficulty concentrating
- social isolation
- sleep disruptions
- worried about academic performance
- more general stress and anxiety
- more depressed
- 8% had suicidal thoughts
why were canadians’ mental health during COVID particularly affected compared to other countries? (3)–> lead to what?
- had social restrictions
- drugs for other diseases were used for COVID
- hard to see doctor
- lead to pandemic fatigue! feeling tired of following public health directions like social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands
how are university students coping with covid 19?
- 4 main categories + sub
SELF-MANAGEMENTS (76%)
- exercise
- netflix
- music, pets, reading, drawing = distraction!
SEEKING HELP FROM OTHERS
- using zoom to connect with family and friends
POSITIVE COPING (29%)
- meditation, spiritual activities, keeping routines, positive reframing, relaxing
NEGATIVE COPING (23%)
- ignoring news, sleeping longer, drinking, smoking
did university students use school counseling services during covid?
93% did not use!
- still true today, students don’t let psychologies know they need help
what is the trend of canadians reporting excellent or good mental health VS trend of poor mental health –> 2020/beg pandemic vs 2021/mid pandemic vs 2023/better pandemic?
reporting excellent or good mental health:
- pretty high in 2020, decrease in 2021, go back up in 2023, but not as good as 2020
POOR MENTAL HEALTH:
- slight increase over time (but decrease a bit depression from 2021 to 2023, but not as low as 2020
who were the hardest hit for severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress in 2023? (4)
- 18-24 yo
- women
- indigenous people
- 2SLGBTQ+
ontario survey, what % of university students did not have a good mental health?
- ____% reported formal mental health diagnosis
61%
- 39% reported formal mental health diagnosis
list strategies used to cope with stress from most to least (11)
- distractions (netflix, music, art)
- connecting with friends
- food
- PA
- connecting with family
- mindfulness
- cognitive techniques
- alcohol
- cannabis
- sexual activity
- recreational drugs
- other
what are barriers to mental health care in ontario university students? (7)
- financial (51%)
- long waits (48%) –> 18 months if CLSC
- few ressources (39%) –> people are overbooked
- unable to attend due to school commitments (35%)
- stigma (31%)
- cultural barriers (26%)
- negative experiences with care (20%)
what are risk factors for poor mental health?
- non modifiable (4)
- modifiable (5)
NON MODIFIABLE
- age (15-24 most at risk)
- sex (women more art risk, hormonal changes, adulting)
- genes
- trauma
MODIFIABLE
- chronic conditions
- Physical inactivity
- stress
- social media (dose dependant! increase social media = increase mental health issues)
- substance use
major depression
- 2 main symptoms
- other symptoms
- need to have what for diagnosis?
- depressed mood most of the day
- marked loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities (especially the ones you used to enjoy)
- significant weight change, appetite change
- sleep change –> wake up at 4am can’t fall back asleep, but can fall asleep at night
- restlessness or lethargy, observable by others
- loss of energy
- feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
- recurrent thoughts of death/ideas of suicide
- need 2 main ones for diagnosis + 5 of the symptoms nearly every day for 2 weeks
impact of depression on patient (6)
- more stress, worry
- more physical symptoms (headaches, tight stomach, nausea)
- worse health –> 2-4 fold increase in comorbitities
- greater dissatisfaction
- poorer social function, withdrawal
- problematic health behaviors: more sedentary, binge drinking, smoking, poorer eating habits
- a loop –> feel bad –> withdraw –> get more depressed –> increase problematic behaviours
how can PA prevent depression?
- proof?
- how? (7 ish)
- PA = as effective as antidepressent for mild-mod depression
- 25/30 studies included –> high quality evidence: PA prevents depression, at any intensity including walking, 10-29min/d
- physiological, biochemical and psychosocial mechanisms most likely operate together:
- endogenous opioids released in brain
- sense of accomplishment afterwards
- set a goal and reach it
- have more E after
- sense of self-control, self-esteem
- decrease stress, anxiety
- can focus better
what are 2 traditional approaches to treat depression?
- antidepressant –> easy to prescribe for doctor, seems like easy way to fix problem, profitable for pharma companies, can make them feel better on short term, prescribe for 1/11 Canadians
- talking therapy: cognitive behavioural therapy:
- short term, skill based focus
- actively changing self-talk
- identifying and changing behaviours
- increasing social interactions
- stress management
- emotional support - or combinations!
- which types of exercise are more effective to treat depression?
- which level of PA is better?
- which are well tolerated?
- exercise = equally effective for who?
- walking, jogging, yoga and strength training –> effects comparable to psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy
- exercise worked better when more intense
- yoga and strength training
- equally effective for people with and without comorbidities and with different baseline levels of depression
6 impacts of getting active on mental health
- reduces stress
- improves sleep
- slows dementia and cognitive decline
- improves mood
- lifts self-esteem
- lowers risk of depression
what is the optimal amount of exercise that has the best benefit on mental health?
- exercise frequency in a month?
sweet spot: 45min, 3-5 times per week ish
- you see the biggest decline from 0min to 45min, then it plateaus + no added benefit
- sweet spot = 16-20 times ish = 4-5 times per week
how does exercise improve mental health? (3 + schéma)
- enhances mood and self-esteem while decreasing stress –> more positive outlook
- reduces inflammation and improves neuro-immunological functions, lowering cortisol levels –> impacts cytokines, adipocytes, TLR, vagal tone
- can improve attention, focus, memory, cognition, language fluency, decision making for up to 2 hours
SCHÉMA:
- immune
- physiological (endorphin, thermogenic, mitochondrial, mtor…)
- psychological: self-efficacy, distraction
what are other mechanisms that explain the effect of exercise on mental health? (8)
- endorphins = natural pain killer
- neurotransmitters
- increased neurogenesis in hippocampus
- changes brain structure to keep it more flexible
- better sleep
- mastery hypothesis; accomplishing goals
- social interaction hypothesis
- distraction from stress and induction of relaxation
