University of Tübingen: Sports Therapy in ‘ImPuls’ Project Benefits 400 Patients with Mental Illnesses
Physical activity has a positive effect on health. A study from Baden-Württemberg has now shown that exercise also improves mental illnesses such as depression, sleep disorders and anxiety disorders. Researchers led by the University of Tübingen developed the sports therapy program “ImPuls – strong psyche through motivation and exercise”. This was implemented and evaluated in a large-scale care study with patients in Baden-Württemberg.
The results, which were published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry , show that the participants’ psychological symptoms improved significantly. After the end of the intervention, the patients in the ImPuls group were physically active for an average of 90 minutes per week. In addition, high levels of satisfaction and acceptance were seen among both participants and therapists.
A total of 400 patients suffering from depression, panic disorders, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder and primary insomnia took part in the six-month program. At ten centers, they completed two to three exercise sessions (endurance-oriented outdoor sports activity) per week under the supervision of qualified sports therapists.
These were combined with the teaching of health skills aimed at integrating physical activity into everyday life. For example, the participants developed mental goals and plans on how to overcome hurdles – the “inner demon”. A specially developed smartphone app also supports the patients here.
Currently, around 28 percent of the population suffers from a mental illness. These are now among the most common complaints, along with musculoskeletal, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and can have a significant impact on health and quality of life. Sports therapy has not previously been a regular part of outpatient care for people with mental illnesses.
This could change as a result of the study results, says sports psychologist and study leader Dr. Sebastian Wolf from the Institute of Sports Science at the University of Tübingen. “Our project shows how effective exercise therapy can be in improving the well-being of patients.” “The positive results of the project speak in favor of implementing exercise therapy in outpatient care for people with mental illnesses.”
Wolf developed the concept together with the Tübingen sports scientist Professor Gorden Sudeck. Also involved were the Department of Clinical Psychology (headed by Prof. Dr. Martin Hautzinger) and the Department of Medical Psychology at the University Hospital Tübingen (headed by Dr. Ander Ramos Murguialday).
Together with the Allgemeine Ortskasse Baden-Württemberg (AOK BW), the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and the German Association for Health Sports & Sports Therapy (DVGS; management: Angelika Baldus and Stefan Peters), the implementation of the program in healthcare practice was evaluated and the cost-effectiveness of the program was checked. The evaluation was carried out by the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU; management: Prof. Dr. Thomas Ehring) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM; management: Prof. Dr. Leonie Sundmacher). The project is currently being funded by the Innovation Fund of the Federal Joint Committee.