Mental health and physical activity in SCI: Is anxiety sensitivity important?

Compared to research conducted with nondisabled samples, little is known about the relation between mental health and physical activity (PA) in individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite this population being more at risk of experiencing anxiety and depression and less likely to engage in PA, few studies have investigated other factors that may impact this association in this population such as anxiety sensitivity (AS). AS is a fear of physiological arousal sensations, and importantly has been shown to be negatively associated with PA in people without disabilities. It is unknown if the changes to how one experiences physiological sensations after a SCI impacts the relation between AS and PA.

This study investigated which forms of PA are predicted by anxiety and depression and whether AS is predictive of PA in this population.

98 participants with a SCI (both paraplegia and tetraplegia) completed an online questionnaire that had measures of PA, AS, and anxiety and depression.

It was found that symptoms of anxiety were significantly associated with mild-intensity PA. Interestingly AS was positively associated with moderate-intensity PA.

The results of this study show that the relation between mental health and PA in this sample may not mirror what has been found in people without disabilities. More research is needed to replicate these findings as well as to investigate other potential mechanisms that may be relevant for people with a SCI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).