OOIR: Observatory of International Research

Papers

(The median citation count of Mental Health and Physical Activity is 2. The table below lists those papers that are above that threshold based on CrossRef citation counts [max. 250 papers]. The publications cover those that have been published in the past four years, i.e., from 2022-01-01 to 2026-01-01.)

Article	Citations
High-intensity interval training in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled pilot trial	33
The moderating role of different lifestyle domains in the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms in brazilian university students	32
Effects of an exercise theory-based intervention program on craving during the early stage of adults' SUD treatment	32
Psychosocial health concerns and physical activity in adults with epilepsy: Cross-sectional analysis from 2022 National Health Interview Survey	30
A short-medium time point evaluation of active breaks on selective and sustained attention in primary school: a pilot quasi-experimental study	28
Corrigendum to “Neurobiological mechanisms for the antidepressant effects of mind-body and physical exercises: A systematic review” [Mental Health and Physical Activity (2023) 100538]	27
Physical activity is linked to fewer psychosomatic problems in adolescents with ADHD symptoms	25
Getting active through mindfulness: Randomised controlled trial of a digital mindfulness-based intervention promoting physical activity engagement and enjoyment	24
Context matters: A review of reviews examining the effects of contextual factors in physical activity interventions on mental health and wellbeing	23
Thriving families: The feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a multi-component physical literacy program for children with neurodevelopmental, emotional, or behavioural problems	23
The momentary relationship between physical activity behaviour and mental well-being of vocational education and training students	22
Use of physical activity as a coping strategy mediates the association between adolescent team sports participation and emerging adult mental health	22
The long-term effect of surf therapy on posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety symptomology among current and former australian defence force members - A nonrandomised controlled longitudinal s	19
Physical activity and mental health: Comparing between-person and within-person associations in longitudinal analysis	19
Impact of a web-based personally tailored physical activity intervention on depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life: Secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial	18
Associations between different types of sedentary behavior and mental health: Gender-stratified analyses among 97,171 South Korean adolescents	17
Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parental mental wellbeing and adolescents’ physical activity, sedentary digital media use, and body mass index	16
Physical activity during a treatment for substance use disorder: A qualitative study	15
Acute effects of physical exercise on cognitive and psychological functioning in college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder	15
Physical activity following discharge from inpatient adult mental health settings: Interest-holder perspectives	14
The interplay of depression symptoms and physical activity: Bidirectional insights from 25-years of the Americans' changing lives panel	14
Adaptation of the subjective effort induction scale (SEIS-3) for strength training: A clinical application for older adults with dementia syndrome	14
The concurrent validity of the physical activity vital sign and online physical activity logbook in adolescents with autism	14
Enhancing young children's executive function through physical activities: A three-level meta-analysis	14
Aquatic training and sleep quality, depressive symptoms and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes: Diabetes and Aquatic Training Study (DATS2)- A Randomized Controlled Trial	14

Investigating psychosocial and behavioural mediators of the relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in women from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods	13
Differential associations of mentally-active and passive sedentary behaviours and physical activity with putative cognitive decline in healthy individuals and those with bipolar disorder: Findings fro	13
Acute and protocol-dependent effects of aerobic exercise on neurobiochemical indices and neuropsychological performance of working memory	12
Editorial Board	12
Feasibility and effects of high-intensity interval training for improving depressive symptoms in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies	12
The prospective association between physical activity and initiation of current substance use among adolescents: Examining the role of school connectedness	11
The moderating influence of social cognition in the relationship between affect and physical activity in adolescents: An ecological momentary assessment study	11
Physical activity of patients with schizophrenia in Nigeria: Distribution and correlates	11
Time spent in physical activities, TV watching and sleep and its association with executive functioning in middle age and older adults: An isotemporal substitution analysis	11
Editorial Board	11
Effects of Capoeira on children's executive functions: A randomized controlled trial	11
Associations between depressive symptoms and sedentary behaviors in parent-child Dyads: Longitudinal effects within- and across- person	11
Barriers & facilitators to physical activity in people with depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Pakistan: A qualitative study to explore perspectives of patient participants, carers and hea	11
Physical activity and wellbeing: Domain specific associations demonstrating the importance of leisure-time activity in Aotearoa New Zealand	10
Functional connectivity mediates the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and stress in midlife.	10
Latent profile analysis of mental health in postgraduates: The impact of mentally-passive or active screen time and sedentary behaviors	10
Social support for physical activity in community-dwelling adults with serious mental Illness: Latent profile analysis and correlates	10
Exercise preferences among women survivors of sexual violence by PTSD and physical activity level: Implications and recommendations for trauma-informed practice	10
A cross-sectional study of physical activity attitudes and preferences of individuals with opioid use disorder	10
Physical activity levels and sedentary behavior in people who have experienced gender-based violence: A systematic review	10
Effects of different exercise patterns on drug craving in female methamphetamine-dependent patients: Evidence from behavior and fNIRS	9
Neurobiological mechanisms for the antidepressant effects of mind-body and physical exercises: A systematic review	9
Capoeira and brain function: Hypotheses and perspectives from a systematic review	8
Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Exercise and Eating Disorders Questionnaire	8
Ecological momentary assessment of physical activity and affective responses in healthy adults: a scoping review	8
The efficacy of physical activity to improve the mental wellbeing of healthcare workers: A systematic review	8
The effect of replacing sedentary behaviour with different intensities of physical activity on depression: A meta-analysis of isotemporal substitution studies	8
Effects of a 6-week at-home exercise intervention on psychological and physical indicators of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: Secondary analysis of a pragmatic randomized trial	7
A grounded theory of weight lifting as a healing strategy for trauma	7
Exercise types for efficacy and adherence in adolescents and young adults with depression: A systematic review with network meta-analysis	7
Longitudinal associations of subjectively-measured physical activity and screen time with cognitive development in young children	7
Interrupting sitting with moderate-intensity physical activity breaks improves inhibitory control in adults with overweight and obesity: Findings from the SITLess pilot randomized crossover trial	7
Domains matter: Cross-sectional associations between mental well-being and domain specific physical activity and sedentary behaviour in n=31,818 adults in Scotland	7
The longitudinal relationship among physical activity, loneliness, and mental health in middle-aged and older adults: Results from the Edad con Salud cohort	7
Tai Chi and Qigong for trauma exposed populations: A systematic review	7
Association between lifestyle behaviors and depression in 90.846 Brazilian adults: A cluster analysis	7
Improving health behaviors and symptoms in youth with mental health disorders: The GamerFit RCT	7
Anxiety sensitivity and physical activity are inversely related: A meta-analytic review	6
Associations between type and timing of sedentary behaviour and affect in adolescents: An ecological momentary assessment study	6
Implementing sport and physical activity across each layer of the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) pyramid for populations affected by displacement	6
The timing or accumulation of physical activity during adolescence: which better predicts positive mental health and quality of life in early adulthood?	6
Together towards better executive functions? Effects of acute cognitively demanding physical activity and social interaction on inhibition	6
Cognitive and psychosocial effects of an acute sun salutation intervention among adults with stress	6
Prospective associations between physical activity and internalizing/externalizing problems in preterm youth across 7 years	6
Effect of interactive exergame training on physical fitness and executive function among men with substance use disorder in rehabilitation center	6
Barriers and facilitators to increasing physical activity in medium secure mental health settings: An exploration of staff perceptions	6
Activity patterns associated with depression symptoms in retired day and night shift workers	5
Examining the (lack of) evidence on physical activity for paternal postnatal depression: A call to action	5
One-year follow-up of a primary care-based 12-week exercise intervention for adults with anxiety disorders	5
“Triggered by the sound of other runners”: An exploration of parkrun mentions in mental health hospital records in the UK	5

A difficulty based comparison of novel exergame balance training for cognitive functions in adults with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized trial	5
Is higher physical activity behaviour associated with less subsequent use of any psychotropic medication: Results of a random-effects meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies	5
Acute effect of different types of moderate intensity physical exercise on affective response and mood state in individuals with substance use disorder	5
Running toward substance use recovery: Does delay discounting mediate the relationship between physical activity and quality of life?	5
Effects of an eight-week yoga intervention on cognitive, mental, and autonomic function in female students with elevated stress: A randomized controlled trial protocol	5
The role of physical exercise on the brain and cognitive functions of patients in recovery from substance use disorder: A narrative review and recommendations for researchers and practitioners	5
Acute mood and cardiovascular responses to moderate intensity vinyasa yoga, static yin yoga and aerobic exercise in people with depression and/or anxiety disorders: A 5-arm randomised controlled trial	5
Editorial Board	5
Linking social determinants of health to mental health, movement behaviors, and cognitive function among U.S. youth	4
Mental health practitioners represent a promising pathway to promote park-based physical activity	4
Cardiovascular health profile is favorably associated with brain health and neurocognitive development in adolescents	4
Walking the Black Dog: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of walking interventions on depressive symptom severity	4
Prospective associations between screen-based sedentary behaviors and cognitive performance among children aged 5–7 years	4
A whole systems approach to integrating physical activity to aid mental health recovery – Translating theory into practice	4
Corrigendum to “Investigating psychosocial and behavioural mediators of the relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in women from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods”	4
‘A spark to start’: Experiences of forcibly displaced individuals participating in a co-designed exercise and sport intervention	4
Effects of different exercise patterns on spatial and verbal working memory updating in women with methamphetamine use disorder	4
Adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines: Cognitive effects in Australian preschoolers	4
Effects of acute exercise on prefrontal cortex oxygenation in substance use disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fNIRS studies	4
Tendency to avoid physical activity mediates the association between perceived weight stigma and physical activity levels among university students	4
Acute cognitively challenging exercise as “cognitive booster” for children: Positive feedback matters!	4
The association between exercise and treatment seeking in college students diagnosed with substance use disorder	4
Dose‒response effects of resistance exercise on ameliorating cravings and executive functions in individuals with methamphetamine use disorders	4
Exercise interventions ameliorate neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia: A meta-analysis	4
The longitudinal reciprocal association between depression and physical activity in old age: The role of lifetime cumulative adversity	4
Daily park use, physical activity, and psychological stress: A study using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment amongst a multi-ethnic Asian cohort	4
Association between physical activity and mortality across levels of psychological stress and distress among Korean adults	4
The physical activity profiles of patients with persecutory delusions	3
Effects of virtual Reality-Based Training and aerobic training on gaming disorder, physical activity, physical fitness, and anxiety: A randomized, controlled trial	3
But that's who I Am: The inability to enact physical activity identity is associated with depression and anxiety symptoms	3
Fear of physical activity relates to cardiac interoception and symptom distress in patients with chronic heart failure	3
Fostering physical activity motivation at substance use disorder treatment facilities: A qualitative study grounded in self-determination theory	3
Acute effects of mind-body practices and exercise in depressed inpatients: A randomized clinical trial	3
Editorial Board	3
Prevalence of 24-hour movement behavior guidelines among youth with prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses and anxiety	3
Outcome assessments used in studies examining the effect of prescribed exercise interventions for people living with severe mental illness, a scoping review	3
Virtual group-based walking intervention for persons with schizophrenia: A pilot randomized controlled trial	3
Mental wellbeing and physical activity levels: A prospective cohort study	3
Reciprocal associations between physical activity, physical self-concept, somatic symptoms, and depression from adolescence to young adulthood: Disaggregating within- and between-person effects	3
Participation in physical education classes and social isolation among adolescents: A harmonized analysis with 266,156 participants from 69 countries	3
Exploring the long-term sustainability of lifestyle therapy for reducing depressive symptoms: A mixed methods study of the Curbing Anxiety and depression using Lifestyle Medicine (CALM) non-inferiorit	3
Project MOVE: A randomized controlled trial of interventions for initiating and maintaining physical activity in depressed individuals	3
Effects of mindfulness training combined with aerobic exercise in people with methamphetamine use disorder: Evidence from sleep, brain activation, and cravings	3
A qualitative exploration of park-based physical activity in adults with serious mental illness: Insights from peers and peer counselors	2
Adding web-based support to exercise referral schemes improves symptoms of depression in people with elevated depressive symptoms: A secondary analysis of the e-coachER randomised controlled trial	2
Finding the balance: The influence of movement behaviours on childhood behaviour problems	2
The effect of aerobic exercise on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and executive function in college students	2
Evidence level of physical exercise in the treatment of substance abuse/dependence: An overview of systematic reviews including 53 meta-analyses that comprised 103 distinct clinical trials	2
Associations of device-measured sedentary time, mentally-passive and mentally-active sedentary behaviors with self-concept in adolescents	2
Association between light-intensity physical activity and health-related quality of life among students aged 9–14 years: A 5-year longitudinal assessment	2
Contemplating movement: A randomized control trial of yoga training for mental health	2
24-Hour movement behaviors among visually impaired US children and adolescents	2
Effects of acute aerobic exercise with different intensities on cerebral dopamine/norepinephine/serotonin metabolites and executive-related oculomotor control in individuals with Parkinson's disease	2
Promoting mental health in children and adolescents with disabilities through school-based physical activity intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic	2
Can high-intensity interval training improve health outcomes among people with substance use disorders? A systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis	2
The effects of school-based yoga on the executive functioning skills of children between three and seven years of age. A meta-analysis of existing research	2
Acute changes in affective valence and perceived distress predict reductions in PTSD symptom severity	2
Better together: Service user and delivery staff experiences of the SPACES physical activity intervention for people with severe mental illness - a qualitative study of a feasibility trial	2
Understanding the barriers and facilitators of physical activity promotion for depression among healthcare professionals: A systematic review	2
Effects of self-selected audiovisual stimuli on affective responses and cortical oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex during acute endurance exercise: An fNIRS study	2
The impact of an acute bout of physical activity on executive function and academic achievement in preadolescent children: A systematic review and meta-analysis	2
Comparative effectiveness of mindfulness and physical exercise on rumination in patients with major depression: An integrated evaluation of an open label randomized trial	2
Interventions to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in severe mental ill health: How effective are they?’- A systematic review	2
Enhancing firefighters' mental health with exercise: Evaluating the effects of a 7-week long physical activity intervention on burnout and other well-being related constructs	2
Editorial Board	2
Frequency of vigorous physical activity and depressive symptoms across adolescence: Disentangling the reciprocal associations between different groups and subtypes of symptoms	2
Corrigendum to “Contemplating movement: A randomized control trial of yoga training for mental health” [Ment. Health. Phys. Activ. 23 (2022) 1-12]	2
A randomised controlled trial of interventions to promote adoption of physical activity in adults with severe mental illness	2
Moderating effect of leisure-time physical activity on the relationship between bullying victimisation and self-esteem in young Finnish men	2
Physical activity services for inpatients in secure mental health settings: what works, for whom, under what circumstances and why? A realist synthesis	2
Editorial Board	2
Toward exercise as medicine for adolescents with bipolar disorder (TEAM-BD): A feasibility study	2
Non-exercise estimation of Cardiorespiratory fitness as a mediator in the relationship between physical comorbidity and depression among Korean cancer Survivors: Evidence from KNHANES 2016–2020	2
Associations between physical activity and subcategories of mental health: A propensity score analysis among a global sample of 341,956 adults	2
Running toward substance use recovery II: Associations between physical activity, recovery capital and hope	2
Trajectories of physical function changes for older veterans with serious mental illness in a clinical exercise program	2
Associations of physical activity and sedentary time with craving and mental health in individuals with alcohol use disorder	2
Actigraphy estimated sleep moderates the relationship between physical activity and cognition in older adults	2
The benefits of physical exercise on state anxiety: Exploring possible mechanisms	2