The Contribution of Exercise and Sport to Mental Health Promotion in Serious Mental Illness: An Interpretive Project

Abstract

In this article we synthesise the findings of previous research to explore the question: How can exercise and sport contribute to mental health promotion in the context of serious mental illness? We used an interpretive approach to gain insights into the sport and exercise experiences of 11 men with serious mental illness. Data were gathered through interviews and participant observation, and analysed through a content analysis and a narrative analysis of structure and form. These analyses suggest that exercise and sport contributed in three distinct ways: acting as a vehicle for other outcomes, facilitating recreation of a previous athletic identity, and providing a means to re-story self and identity through adventure experiences. We conclude that the ways in which exercise and sport can help promote mental health in the context of serious mental illness are varied, complex and closely related to the meaning the activity holds for the individual.

Keywords:

• physical activity
• mental health promotion
• narrative
• identity
• mental illness