Text

theses

Anxiety is a commonly diagnosed and experienced mental health disorder that places a large burden on public health and overall quality of life. Traditional treatment approaches for anxiety disorders include antidepressants and psychotherapy. Although these treatments are effective for some, they are not always beneficial. Due to its relative accessibility and minimal adverse side effects, physical activity and/or exercise may be an effective approach for the prevention and treatment of anxiety. The effects of exercise on anxiety have been reported to be moderate-to-large in magnitude, but the underlying mechanisms remain relatively unknown. Recently, investigators have examined anxiety sensitivity (AS), or an individual's fear of anxiety or arousal-related physical sensations, to advance understanding of the exercise and anxiety relationship. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to estimate the population effect size for the effects of exercise on anxiety sensitivity. A two-tiered approach was used to locate all available studies (n= 276) and included (n = 8) for the current review. The first approach involved a computerized search using Google Scholar, PubMed, PsychINFO, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. The second approach included a complete examination of all relevant journals (e.g., Health Psychology, Behavioral Medicine), as well as the reference lists of the published papers found in the initial search. Independent variables included exercise and/or physical activity and at least one of the outcome variables was a measure of AS. Hedges' g effect sizes were computed for each study and random effects models were used for all analyses. Across the eight studies, we found a mean ES of 0.52 for acute exercise effects on reducing ASI and a mean ES of 0.86 for studies using chronic exercise to reduce ASI symptoms. Overall, the effects of acute exercise were primarily consistent across different modes of exercise toward reducing ASI (range; 0.30-0.70). A larger range of mean ES was observed for studies utilizing chronic protocols (range; -0.20-2.50). The overall mean ES for all included studies was 0.70, indicating a large ES for exercise in reducing ASI. Future research evaluating the efficacy of exercise on AS may benefit from larger sample sizes and the utilization of interventions that control for exercise intensity, type, and duration.

ETD_9924

Psy.D.

Includes bibliographical references

doi:10.7282/t3-01ry-mq56

ETD doctoral

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