People diagnosed with a mental illness have a harder time developing motivation for everyday activities and hold an increase in mortality than the general population. This experiment was aimed at seeing if there is an association between physical activity and motivation. The interviews and data concluded “how higher levels of integrated regulated motivation and perceived competence for PA were associated with higher levels of PA” (Anders). This proved that with higher motivation there will be high physical activity and showed how “targeting motivation and competence for context specific behaviour (i.e., PA) should be emphasised in treatment” (Anders). Therefore to implant motivation within patients physical activity could be prescribed to insure this wanted result. This would then benefit the patients attitude towards their current progress of their mental status and their everyday life.
Anders, et al. “Associations between Physical Activity and Motivation, Competence, Functioning, and Apathy in Inhabitants with Mental Illness from a Rural Municipality: A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 17, Nov. 2017, pp. 1–11.