The Stride program: Feasibility and pre-to-post program change of an exercise service for university students experiencing mental distress
Jeftic, Ivan, Furzer, Bonnie, Dimmock, James A., Wright, Kemi, Budden, Timothy, Boyd, Conor, Simpson, Aaron, Rosenberg, Michael, Sabiston, Catherine M., deJonge, Melissa, and Jackson, Ben (2023) The Stride program: Feasibility and pre-to-post program change of an exercise service for university students experiencing mental distress. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 69. 102507.
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Abstract
Rates of mental illness are disproportionately high for young adult and higher education (e.g., university student) populations. As such, universities and tertiary institutions often devote significant efforts to services and programs that support and treat mental illness and/or mental distress. However, within that portfolio of treatment approaches, structured exercise has been relatively underutilised and greater research attention is needed to develop this evidence base. The Stride program is a structured 12-week exercise service for students experiencing mental distress. We aimed to explore the feasibility of the program and assess pre- and post-program change, through assessments of student health, lifestyle, and wellbeing outcomes. Drawing from feasibility and effectiveness-implementation hybrid design literatures, we conducted a non-randomised feasibility trial of the Stride program. Participants were recruited from the Stride program (N = 114, Mage = 24.21 years). Feasibility results indicated the program was perceived as acceptable and that participants reported positive perceptions of program components, personnel, and sessions. Participants’ pre-to-post program change in depressive symptomatology, physical activity levels, mental health-related quality of life, and various behavioural outcomes were found to be desirable. Our results provide support for the feasibility of the Stride program, and more broadly for the delivery and potential effectiveness of structured exercise programs to support university students experiencing mental distress.
| Item ID: | 80305 |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1878-5476 |
| Keywords: | Anxiety, College, Depression, Gym, Mental health, Physical activity |
| Copyright Information: | © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Sep 2023 03:33 |
| FoR Codes: | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5203 Clinical and health psychology > 520304 Health psychology @ 100% |
| SEO Codes: | 20 HEALTH > 2003 Provision of health and support services > 200305 Mental health services @ 100% |
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