Open Access

ARTICLE

The Relationship between Exercise and Psychotic Symptoms in College Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Yangjuan Ye, Haijun Tang^*

Institute of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, China

* Corresponding Author: Haijun Tang. Email:

(This article belongs to this Special Issue: Quality of Life, Well-Being and Mental Health in the context of Physical Activity and Health)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2023, 25(7), 873-879. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2023.028107

Received 30 November 2022; Accepted 12 January 2023; Issue published 01 June 2023

Abstract

An increasing number of studies have suggested that increased physical activity is associated with less mental illness. However, the relationship between exercise and psychotic experiences (PEs) is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between exercise and PEs in college students in the United States. Data from the Health Mind Survey (2020–2021 round) were analyzed. Respondents included 137,916 college students who were asked about exercise and PEs (lifetime psychotic experiences, delusions, and hallucinations). A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between exercise and PEs while controlling for demographic characteristics. There was a significant correlation between exercise and PEs among college students. Compared to students who exercised less than one hour per week, students who exercised five or more hours per week had fewer lifetime psychotic experiences. This same finding obtained for both male and female college students. The findings from the present study indicate that exercising for five or more hours each week is most correlated with decreased PEs among college students. However, experimental studies are required to extend and confirm our findings and determine the causality of this relationship.

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Keywords

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