“Students Moving Together”, Tailored Exercise for Students Facing Mental Health Challenges—A Pilot Feasibility Study

Abstract

An increasing number of university students are facing mental health challenges. The primary aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of 10 weeks of supervised tailored group exercise for 60 min twice a week delivered by the student health service for students facing mental health challenges. Secondary aims were to explore changes in mental health and physical fitness from pre- to post-test. Feasibility was assessed in terms of recruitment, drop-outs, attendance, and adverse events. The secondary outcomes included symptoms of depression and anxiety, wellbeing, satisfaction with life, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular endurance/strength. A total of 13 university students with self-reported mental health challenges, aged 20–39 years, were recruited during a four-week period. Ten (77%) of these completed the intervention and post-test as planned, and no adverse events occurred. There was a significant average reduction of 20% in symptoms of depression and anxiety (p = 0.008), and non-significant improvements of 21% in well-being and 16% in satisfaction with life were found. On average, cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.01) and muscular strength (push-ups test, p = 0.01, and sit-ups test, p = 0.02) increased. In conclusion, a 10-week tailored exercise intervention delivered by the student mental health service was found to be feasible, and beneficial for mental health and physical fitness in students facing mental health challenges.

The effectiveness of physical activity interventions in improving higher education students’ mental health: A systematic review

“…Intervention duration ranged from 1 single 10-min session to 20 weeks of intervention. Seven of the RCT ( Kim et al ., 2013 ; Mailey et al ., 2010 ; Philippot et al ., 2022 ; Sun et al ., 2023 ; Wan Yunus et al ., 2020 ; Zhang et al , 2023a ; Zhu et al ., 2023 ) and 8 of the non-RCT ( Wang et al ., 2004 ; deJonge et al ., 2021 ; Martínez-Díaz and Carrasco, 2021 ; Forseth et al ., 2022 ; Danielsen et al ., 2023 ; Gurung et al ., 2023 ; Sandra et al ., 2023 ; Strehli et al ., 2023 ) studies were designed as pilot trials.…”

“…Interventions were effective in 36 studies (62%) for improving at least one measure of mental health or QOL in HE students ( Akandere and Demir, 2011 ; Bass et al ., 2002 ; Caldwell et al ., 2009 ; Crocker and Grozelle, 1991 ; Danielsen et al ., 2023 ; de Vries et al ., 2016 , 2018 ; deJonge et al ., 2021 ; Dinani et al ., 2019 ; Ezati et al ., 2020 ; Faro et al ., 2019 ; Forseth et al ., 2022 ; Fukui et al ., 2021 ; Gallego et al ., 2014 ; Gurung et al ., 2023 ; Hemat-Far et al ., 2012 ; Herbert et al ., 2020 ; Huang et al ., 2017 ; Ji et al ., 2022 ; Kim et al ., 2013 ; Li et al ., 2022 ; López-Rodríguez et al ., 2017 ; Muir et al ., 2020 ; Philippot et al ., 2022 ; Salehian et al ., 2021 ; Saltan and Ankaralı, 2021 ; Sandra et al ., 2023 ; Strehli et al ., 2023 ; Sun et al ., 2023 ; Tong et al ., 2021 ; von Haaren et al ., 2016 ; Wan Yunus et al ., 2020 ; Wang et al ., 2004 ; Xiao et al ., 2021 ; Zhang and Jiang, 2023b ; Zhao et al ., 2022 ). Five of these studies did not have a comparator so the effectiveness relates only to changes over time (pre-post) and not between groups.…”

“…There were 29 studies which used MVIPA interventions including aerobic strength and resistance exercises, Pilates, running, dance, circuit/gym training and sports games. Of these studies, 25 were found to be effective ( Crocker and Grozelle, 1991 ; Bass et al ., 2002 ; Caldwell et al ., 2009 ; Akandere and Demir, 2011 ; Hemat-Far et al ., 2012 ; Gallego et al ., 2014 ; de Vries et al ., 2016 , 2018 ; von Haaren et al ., 2016 ; Huang et al ., 2017 ; López-Rodríguez et al ., 2017 ; Faro et al ., 2019 ; Ezati et al ., 2020 ; Herbert et al ., 2020 ; Muir et al ., 2020 ; Wan Yunus et al ., 2020 ; deJonge et al ., 2021 ; Fukui et al ., 2021 ; Saltan and Ankaralı, 2021 ; Xiao et al ., 2021 ; Ji et al ., 2022 ; Zhao et al ., 2022 ; Danielsen et al ., 2023 ; Gurung et al ., 2023 ; Sandra et al ., 2023 ). Four studies did not find significant intervention effects.…”

“…One was explicitly a pilot study ( Wan Yunus et al ., 2020 ). There were 10 non-RCTs ( Bass et al ., 2002 ; Caldwell et al ., 2009 ; Ezati et al ., 2020 ; Muir et al ., 2020 ; deJonge et al ., 2021 ; Marschin and Herbert, 2021 ; Tong et al ., 2021 ; Danielsen et al ., 2023 ; Gurung et al ., 2023 ; Sandra et al ., 2023 ), 4 of which were pilots ( deJonge et al ., 2021 ; Danielsen et al ., 2023 ; Gurung et al ., 2023 ; Sandra et al ., 2023 ), 8 were found to be effective ( Bass et al ., 2002 ; Caldwell et al ., 2009 ; Ezati et al ., 2020 ; Muir et al ., 2020 ; deJonge et al ., 2021 ; Danielsen et al ., 2023 ; Gurung et al ., 2023 ; Sandra et al ., 2023 ), and 2 did not show statistically significant improvements ( Marschin and Herbert, 2021 ; Tong et al ., 2021 ).…”