Evaluating mental health literacy amongst US college students: A cross sectional study

Objective: This study examined levels of mental health literacy amongst US university students, as well as relationships between mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviors, and mental health outcomes. Participants: Three hundred and twenty-six (326) US university students participated in this study online. Methods: Participants filled out questionnaires that assessed their mental health literacy, intentions to seek support, psychological distress, wellbeing, and self-compassion. Results: The mean mental health literacy score was 123.96 (SD = 16.01). Women scored significantly higher than men (p < .01) on mental health literacy. Individuals who had a previous mental disorder diagnosis had significantly higher scores than those with no previous diagnosis (p < .01). A significant positive relationship was found between mental health literacy and self-compassion (p < .01). Conclusions: Our research highlights significant differences between women and men in relation to mental health literacy, psychological distress, and help-seeking behavior. There is a need to design culturally competent interventions that involve diverse students

Creating 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusivity in physical activity, exercise, and sport research, teaching, and practice

No abstract available

Behaviour change in exercise referral

This chapter introduces individual and environmental factors associated with physical activity. It presents strategies to identify and overcome individual and environmental barriers to physical activity. The chapter explains how physical activity outcome expectations should be communicated to clients. It presents various behavioural strategies to promote physical activity within exercise referral schemes. The UK Physical Activity Guidelines provide guidance from the chief medical officer on the amount of physical activity people should do on a daily or weekly basis. Epidemiological evidence has shown that being active is not easy and something most people do not do enough of. Research that has informed our understanding of factors that influence physical activity behaviour has been derived from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Social support is correlated with physical activity in a range of individuals, particularly from family and peers with similar health concerns

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

As we come to grips with the pandemic and begin to shift to a way of living with COVID19, we will continue to better understand just how much this public health crisis has affected us, be it physically, mentally, and socially. For nearly all of us, COVID19 fragmented our lives, and left many of us feeling disconnected from the people and things we love. In fact, COVID19 left many people feeling lonely and socially isolated

LGBTQI + mental health during the pandemic

Blog - No abstract availabl

Enhancing physical activity knowledge exchange strategies for Canadian long-haul truck drivers

Purpose: Canadian long-haul truck drivers lead sedentary lives, but are receptive to receiving physical activity information to address health risks. This study examined how Canadian long-haul truck drivers would like to receive physical activity information in order to improve their overall health. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) explore barriers Canadian long-haul truck drivers have to receiving and using physical activity information and 2) understand how physical activity information should be structured and delivered to these drivers to overcome these barriers. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Canadian long-haul truck drivers. Drivers had, on average, 14.3 years of professional long-haul driving experience. Findings: Few drivers had received any physical activity information. Drivers discussed a culture where they perceived both employers and drivers to be lacking awareness of the importance of physical activity and its impact on health. Drivers explained they were too busy, stressed or tired to be active or to learn about physical activity. Information received by some drivers on this topic was too general to be helpful in changing physical activity behaviours. Drivers mentioned that personalized and accessible physical activity information should be provided to them through multiple methods by their employers, as an aspect of occupational health and safety. Practical implications: Future physical activity information strategies should use both passive and interactive mediums to promote physical activity to Canadian long-haul truck drivers. Originality/value: This is the first study to assess how Canadian long-haul truck drivers would like to receive trustworthy information that can lead to healthful improvements in physical activity behaviour

The Role of Coaches, Institutions, and Clinicians in Addressing Athlete Mental Health

Mental health, defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community,” is an important concern for athletes. In 2018, research findings showed that the prevalence of mental health symptoms and disorders among current elite athletes ranged from 19% for alcohol misuse to 34% for anxiety/depression, and from 16% for distress to 26% for anxiety/depression for former elite athletes.2 Research suggests that while athletes have overall better physical health than their non-athlete counterparts, they experience similar rates of mental health symptoms and disorders.https://digitalcommons.library.tru.ca/emergingdiscourses/1001/thumbnail.jp

Exploring loneliness

No abstract available