Contribuição do exercício físico na prevenção e no tratamento dos transtornos mentais em estudantes

Abstract

Mental disorders in students worldwide have been a subject of concern and research, especially in recent decades. These disorders became more evident after the covid-19 pandemic, arousing greater interest from the global scientific community. Considering that physical exercise plays an important role in public health, preventing and treating a series of physical conditions including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and obesity, there was interest in analyzing the evidence found in published articles on: preventive effects of physical exercise on mental disorders; the role of physical exercise in promoting the physical health of individuals with mental disorders; the physical exercise as a strategy to manage symptoms in individuals with mental disorders. The results obtained demonstrated convincing evidence that physical exercise can prevent the most common mental illnesses in students, such as depression and anxiety disorders, in addition to offering multiple beneficial effects on the physical and mental health of people with a wide range of mental illnesses, especially depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Furthermore, they have demonstrated a significant role in reducing the symptoms of these disorders in affected individuals. It is concluded that physical exercise should be incorporated into the routine care of students with mental disorders, with the encouragement and support of schools and families.