Positive mental health of individuals with a cancer diagnosis: exploring the role of physical activity

Fardy, Sean (2021) Positive mental health of individuals with a cancer diagnosis: exploring the role of physical activity. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

A cancer diagnosis is a significant life event that can lead to psychological distress and leaves individuals diagnosed with cancer at a higher risk of mental illness. Mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, is common in cancer patients and is associated with increased hospital stay time and treatment efficiency. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize the mental health of cancer patients. It is now recognized that mental health is not merely the absence or presence of mental illness; instead, it is a syndrome of symptoms of an individual’s subjective well-being. This is where positive mental health has been introduced. Positive mental health is a concept recognized by the World Health Organization that views mental health as an evaluation of one’s subjective well-being and how well they see themselves functioning in life, regardless of the absence or presence of mental illness. Therefore, our focus should turn to the promotion and protection of the positive mental health of cancer patients. Focusing on the promotion and protection of positive mental health will decrease the risk of these individuals developing mental illness over time which will, in turn, protect against increased hospital stay time and treatment efficiency. Highlighted here is the importance of exploring different avenues for promoting and protecting the positive mental health of individuals diagnosed with cancer. Previous studies have indicated that physical activity has psychological benefits as it can improve and prevent symptoms of anxiety and depression in cancer patients. Therefore, physical activity could play a role in promoting and protecting the positive mental health of cancer patients. This study examined how physical activity is associated with positive mental health among individuals, ages 20-80+, diagnosed with cancer. Compared to those without a diagnosis of cancer, those with a diagnosis had significantly lower scores on measures of positive mental health. However, among the individuals who reported a cancer diagnosis, the average number of hours of moderate or vigorous activity in the past week was a significant predictor of positive mental health. The implications of these findings are discussed in this study.

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