A quantitative study exploring the relationship between physical activity and mental health of UK residents aged 18-24

Abstract

Mental health issues amongst 18–24-year-olds is of the highest rate and is increasing yearly. Methods of mental health promotion such as talking therapy and the prescription of antidepressants, have increased in recent times, however rates of mental illness are still increasingly yearly. This study explored the relationship between physical activity, a method of health promotion, and mental health in the UK amongst 18-24-year-olds. More specifically, the aim of the research was to identify how exactly physical activity impacts mental health by exploring the experiences and attitudes of 18-24-year- olds towards these two topics. The study was quantitative, and data was gathered in the form of an online questionnaire of which the criteria was UK residents aged between 18 and 24 years. This data, based of 31 respondents, provided an insight into the physical activity levels, mental health states, attitudes towards physical activity and the different methods in which young adults choose to keep physically active.

The researcher used SPSS to analyse the data and create graphs, from which trends were identified such as higher levels of physical activity being strongly associated with better states of mental health and lower activity levels being associated with poorer states of mental health. Another main finding was the majority of participants feeling very strongly towards certain benefits of physical activity. Although there are numerous studies available that discuss the relationship between physical activity and mental health, the researcher felt there were certain gaps in existing literature such as primary focus on the age range of 18-24 and understanding their attitudes and personal experiences with mental health and physical activity. Recommendations such as providing evidence in promotional campaigns for physical activity, specifically its impact on mental health as well ways in which local councils can take action to support local residents in keeping physically active.