Beyond Medication: The Dual Benefits of Physical Activity on Psychosis and Sleep Quality Among Male Patients with Schizophrenia.

Abstract

While antipsychotic medications remain the primary treatment for schizophrenia, they often have limitations in addressing all symptoms and can lead to adverse side effects, prompting researchers to explore complementary approaches such as physical activity to enhance overall patient outcomes. This study investigates the effectiveness of physical activity on psychosis and sleep quality in patients with schizophrenia. This quasi-experimental study involved 70 male inpatients with schizophrenia, divided into an activity group (structured physical activity program) and a control group (standard care). The intervention group showed significant improvements across multiple symptom domains (positive and depression-anxiety) with large effect sizes (η² ranging from 0.553 to 0.705) compared to the control group. These improvements, including reductions in grandiosity, emotional withdrawal, and anxiety, were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. The study group also exhibited significant improvements in several aspects of sleep quality, including subjective sleep quality (p < 0.001, η² = 0.612), sleep duration (p < 0.001, η² = 0.877), and sleep disturbances (p < 0.001, η² = 0.623). The physical activity program demonstrated significant improvements in sleep quality and various symptoms of schizophrenia, notably hallucinations and unusual thought content. Although the changes in negative symptoms were not statistically significant between groups, the overall findings suggest that physical activity can play a beneficial role in symptom management and enhance sleep quality for patients with schizophrenia.