Physical Activity for Mental Health: The Diverse Evidence and New Avenues

Dear Colleagues,

The World Health Organization has defined mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (WHO, 2005, p. 2). Such a conceptualization suggests that mental health consists of the presence of or increased mental wellbeing (e.g., feeling good and functioning well in daily life) and the absence of or reduced mental illness (e.g., anxiety, stress, psychological distress). Previous research has demonstrated varied psychological benefits of physical activity participation; however, more diverse evidence is needed to better understand the role participating in physical activity plays in the promotion of mental wellbeing and the prevention of mental illness in diverse populations (e.g., patients, athletes, schoolchildren and adolescents, adults at varying ages, people with neurodiversity or special needs, etc.).

Moreover, knowledge is needed regarding the biopsychosocial factors that may modulate the mental health consequences of participation in physical activity, especially among those who are engaging in varied high-intensity and high-volume physical activities (e.g., elite athletes, blue-collar workers) or those with special needs (e.g., the neurodiverse or other vulnerable individuals). In this context, we argue that participation in physical activity may not always be equally beneficial to all people at times, and could be debilitative to mental health (e.g., reinforcing obsession, muscle dysmorphia, eating problems, etc.). Meanwhile, the varied types and contexts of physical activity may also exert different influences on different people. There is certainly no “one model fits all” when promoting physical activity for mental health.

Overall, this Special Issue will collate new knowledge and diverse evidence about physical activity for mental health. We welcome manuscripts that offer novel insights into the associations of physical activity participation with mental wellbeing and mental illness from various perspectives (e.g., social, neurological, and psychological). We encourage prospective contributors to address the abovementioned issues that use diverse approaches (interventional studies, longitudinal qualitative and quantitative designs, mixed-design studies, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and meta-analyses).

This Special Issue is open to any subject area including, but not limited to, the keywords below.

Dr. Jingdong Liu
Dr. Shuge Zhang
Guest Editors

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• physical activity
• physical exercise
• sports
• work-related physical activity
• mental health
• mental illness
• subjective wellbeing
• quality of life
• burnout
• personality and individual differences