The Practical Analysis of Exercise-Intervention on Suicidal Ideation

PURPOSE: Physical activity is known to impact anxiety, depression, wellbeing, suicidal ideation as well as sleep quality in all age groups. However, there is a lack of information regarding its influence on suicidal ideation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association between physical activity and suicidal ideation across all age groups.METHODS: We systematically reviewed literature published in the Google scholar and PubMed database from January 1990 to August 2024, using the predefined search terms of “suicide ideation,” “suicide ideation and exercise-intervention,” and ’‘suicide ideation and other factors.” Based on a reference search, more than 60 articles were identified, of which 30 articles (24 references) met the inclusion criteria and were well-connected to suicide and exercise interventions and other factors. We analyzed the connections between exercise interventions and suicide using several variables and discuss physical exercise and tailoring exercise intervention programs in the main text. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of physical activity was positively correlated with sleep quality. Well-being, quality of life, and mental health were negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts and attempts). The strongest effects were observed for the frequency of physical exercise. Intensity was the next best factor affecting the effects of physical exercise. This could be a more effective strategy for suicide prevention in boys than in girls. Adequate physical activity and exercise should be promoted through community-based suicide prevention programs with psychological (resilience and stress control) and social support. These results should be considered preliminary, and more and larger mechanism studies evaluating suicidal ideation and exercise interventions are urgently needed.