background Physical activity (PA) has been introduced in the sixties as standard care in the mental health care systems of The Netherlands and Belgium.
aim To summarize the recent meta-analytic evidence of PA in the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, substance use disorders, adhd, autism, and eating disorders.
method medline/PubMed, Psycarticles and Embase were searched from January 1st, 2015 until January 31st, 2020 for meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies.
results There is strong evidence for the beneficial effects of PA in the treatment of mild and moderate depression in children / adolescents and adults, severe depression, anxiety disorders and psychotic disorders in adults and reductions in adhd-symptoms in children. PA reduces the risk for depression, anxiety and to a lesser extent also psychosis. PA also improves cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of sleep in people with a psychiatric disorder.
conclusion There is trans-diagnostic scientific evidence for the beneficial effects of PA on psychiatric symptoms and physical health in people with a psychiatric disorder.