106 Effect of Physical Training Combined With Basketball on Behavior and Mental Symptoms in Schizophrenia
Year: 2025
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: Background Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder that affects patients’ behavior, cognition, and emotional regulation, severely impairing their quality of life and social functioning. Although medication can alleviate symptoms, it comes with side effects and has limited effectiveness in improving social adaptability. Therefore, exercise therapy has received attention due to its positive impact on physical and mental health. Basketball not only improves physical fitness, but also promotes social interaction and emotional expression among patients. Studies have shown that moderate exercise can improve mood and cognitive function by increasing neurotransmitter secretion. The study aims to evaluate the effects of physical training and basketball on the behavior and mental symptoms of patients with schizophrenia, in order to provide new evidence for non pharmacological treatment. Methods The study included 120 patients with schizophrenia aged 18-45, all of whom met the DSM-5 criteria. Adopting a double-blind randomized controlled design, the participants were divided into an experimental group (physical training and basketball exercise, three times a week, 90 minutes each time) and a control group (conventional treatment only). The intervention of the experimental group includes 30 minutes of physical training and 60 minutes of basketball exercise. Before and after intervention, BPS was used to assess patients’ behavioral problems, PANSS was used to assess psychiatric symptoms, and serum levels of dopamine and BDNF were detected. Results The experimental data were analyzed by SPSS 26.0 software, and the specific results are shown in Table 1. Table 1 shows that the experimental group’s BPS score decreased from 42.3 to 28.7, PANSS score decreased from 89.5 to 65.3, and serum dopamine and BDNF levels increased by 23.7% and 18.5%, respectively. The BPS and PANSS scores of the control group only slightly decreased, and the physiological indicators did not show significant changes. Discussion Studies have confirmed that physical training combined with basketball has a significant intervention effect on the behavioral and mental symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. Through physical training, physical fitness and confidence are improved; basketball stimulates social participation and emotional expression through team interaction and goal orientation. This integrated intervention not only significantly reduced the behavioral problems and psychiatric symptoms, but also supported the improvement of mental health at the physiological level by promoting the secretion of neurotransmitters and trophic factors. Future studies could further optimize the intervention program with a view to providing more personalized and diverse non-pharmacological approaches for atients with schizophrenia.
Source: Schizophrenia Bulletin
Authors: Enming Bin, Gan Gao*
Institution: Guilin University of Electronic Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4407677326