This paper reports the results of a literature review examining the effects of exercise on mental health and well-being. Throughout history many societies, ancient and modern, have used exercise as a means of preventing disease, and promoting health and well-being. There is evidence that exercise is beneficial for mental health; it reduces anxiety, depression, and negative mood, and improves self-esteem and cognitive functioning. Exercise is also associated with improvements in the quality of life of those living with schizophrenia. However, exercise is seldom recognized by mainstream mental health services as an effective intervention in the care and treatment of mental health problems. There is evidence to suggest that exercise may be a neglected intervention in mental health care.

(2016) The effect of exercise on depressive symptoms in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 55 (7). pp. 580-590. ISSN 1527-5418Access from the University of Nottingham repository: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35399/1/CarterMorresMeadeCallaghan_Systematic %20review.pdf Copyright and reuse:The Nottingham ePrints service makes this work by researchers of the University of Nottingham available open access under the following conditions. This article is made available under the University of Nottingham End User licence and may be reused according to the conditions of the licence. For more details see: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/end_user_agreement.pdf A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.For more information, please contact eprints@nottingham.ac.uk Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry M A N U S C R I P T A C C E P T E D ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 2 AbstractObjective: The purpose of this review was to examine the treatment effect of physical exercise on depressive symptoms for adolescents aged 13-17 years. Method: A systematic search of seven electronic databases identified relevant randomised controlled trials.Following removal of duplicates, 543 texts were screened for eligibility. Screening, data extraction, and trial methodological quality assessment (using the Delphi list) were undertaken by two independent researchers. Standardized mean differences were used for

This paper addresses the importance of social support to health, drawing upon relevant literature from medical, psychological and social research. Conceptual and methodological problems are addressed and two major theories ('buffer' and 'attachment') are evaluated for their relevance in explaining the nature, purpose and function of social support. Finally, possible directions for future research in this field are outlined.

BackgroundExercise has been shown to be effective in treating depression, but trials testing the effect of exercise for depressed adolescents utilising mental health services are rare. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a preferred intensity exercise intervention on the depressive symptoms of adolescents with depression.MethodsWe randomly assigned 87 adolescents who were receiving treatment for depression to either 12 sessions of aerobic exercise at preferred intensity alongside treatment as usual or treatment as usual only. The primary outcome was depressive symptom change using the Children’s Depression Inventory 2nd Version (CDI-2) at post intervention. Secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life and physical activity rates. Outcomes were taken at baseline, post intervention and at six month follow up.ResultsCDI-2 score reduction did not differ significantly between groups at post-intervention (est. 95 % CI −6.82, 1.68, p = 0.23). However, there was a difference in CDI-2 score reduction at six month follow-up in favour of the intervention of −4.81 (est. 95 % CI −9.49, −0.12, p = 0.03). Health-related quality of life and physical activity rates did not differ significantly between groups at post-intervention and follow-up.ConclusionsThere was no additional effect of preferred intensity exercise alongside treatment as usual on depressive reduction immediately post intervention. However, effects were observed at six months post-intervention, suggesting a delayed response. However, further trials, with larger samples are required to determine the validity of this finding.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01474837, March 16 2011

Few empirical studies have investigated the issues linked to Hong Kong nurses work-related health. The present study investigated factors related to stress and coping among Chinese nurses in Hong Kong. The researchers employed a cross-sectional survey and made within-group comparisons of nurses' stress and coping. Using stratified random sampling the researchers selected nurses from the mailing list of a local professional organization. One hundred and sixty-eight (33.6%) nurses responded. Nurses reported lower stress levels than other workers assessed with the same measure. Paediatric nurses reported the highest stress levels. Nurses at the lower grades reported higher stress levels than nurses at the higher grades. Single nurses had marginally higher stress scores than married nurses and females had slightly higher stress scores than males. However, none of these results were statistically significant. The respondents' major sources of stress were related to nursing issues like too much work, interpersonal relationships, and dealing with hospital administration. The respondents coped with their stresses by seeking support from friends and colleagues, using different cognitive strategies and through leisure activities. There was a statistically significant link between the respondents' stress and sickness levels. The results raise issues about the nature of nurses' working experiences.