Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27502153›Full record

SynthesisPsychological medicine2016

Motivating factors and barriers towards exercise in severe mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

J Firth, S Rosenbaum, B Stubbs, P Gorczynski, A R Yung, D Vancampfort

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychological medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 208 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
208citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

208 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry · 2026
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  19. Insights Following Implementation of an Exercise Intervention in Older Veterans with PTSD.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019
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148 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

J FirthInstitute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health,University of Manchester,UK.
S RosenbaumDepartment of Exercise Physiology,School of Medical Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,University of New South Wales,Australia.
B StubbsPhysiotherapy Department,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust,UK.
P GorczynskiDepartment of Sport and Exercise Science,University of Portsmouth,UK.
A R YungInstitute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health,University of Manchester,UK.
D VancampfortKU Leuven Department of Rehabilitation Sciences,Leuven,Belgium.

Funding

Medical Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Exercise can improve clinical outcomes in people with severe mental illness (SMI). However, this population typically engages in low levels of physical activity with poor adherence to exercise interventions. Understanding the motivating factors and barriers towards exercise for people with SMI would help to maximize exercise participation. A search of major electronic databases was conducted from inception until May 2016. Quantitative studies providing proportional data on the motivating factors and/or barriers towards exercise among patients with SMI were eligible. Random-effects meta-analyses were undertaken to calculate proportional data and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for motivating factors and barriers toward exercise. From 1468 studies, 12 independent studies of 6431 psychiatric patients were eligible for inclusion. Meta-analyses showed that 91% of people with SMI endorsed 'improving health' as a reason for exercise (N = 6, n = 790, 95% CI 80-94). Among specific aspects of health and well-being, the most common motivations were 'losing weight' (83% of patients), 'improving mood' (81%) and 'reducing stress' (78%). However, low mood and stress were also identified as the most prevalent barriers towards exercise (61% of patients), followed by 'lack of support' (50%). Many of the desirable outcomes of exercise for people with SMI, such as mood improvement, stress reduction and increased energy, are inversely related to the barriers of depression, stress and fatigue which frequently restrict their participation in exercise. Providing patients with professional support to identify and achieve their exercise goals may enable them to overcome psychological barriers, and maintain motivation towards regular physical activity.

Indexed as

ExerciseHumansMental DisordersMotivationExercisephysical activityphysical healthpsychosisschizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID27502153
PMCPMC5080671

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.