An investigation into the use of exercise as a medium for mental health promotion among institutionalised children
It is widely documented that institutionalised children represent a vulnerable sector of the population as they carry a high risk for the development of psychological problems. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the use of exercise as a medium for mental health promotion. Various studies have provided evidence that exercise improves general health, quality of life, mood, subjective well-being, self esteem, self perception and other attributes which influence mental health positively. However, there is little research done in the South African context with specific emphasis on children. It was against this backdrop that an investigation into the use of exercise as a medium of mental health promotion among institutionalised children was conducted. This study was contextualised within the community psychological model of mental health promotion with mental health being conceptualised as a subset of physical activities aimed at improving health and well-being. A quasi-experimental control group research design, with pre and post testing on self report measures of physical self-perception, depression and paediatric symptoms, was used to investigate the effectiveness of physical exercise as a medium for mental health promotion among institutionalised children in local children's homes. Focus groups were held with children and caregivers to obtain qualitative data. The exercise intervention was associated with significant improvements in the physical self-perception of the children and caretakers' ratings of children's behaviour. These findings provide a compelling argument for the value of exercise in the promotion of mental health in children's homes.
Mental health promotion, Children's home -- South Africa, Excercise
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