MENS: Prevention, therapy and rehabilitation of the patients with mental illness through the sport

Monday 18 June 2018

Is there a connection between mental health and sport? Is it possible to get psycho-physical and mental welfare from physical exercise?

MENS- Mental European Network of Sport Events project during one and a half year-activity answered this question, proving and underlining the importance of physical activities on our mental health.

On June 14th, the Final Conference of the project took place at the Cultural Center of the City of Athens. Here all project initiatives, actions and outputs of the project (January 2017 – June 2018) have been presented: the survey, the European awareness campaign & policy papers.

The survey, conducted from October to January 2017, realized by 2656 participants from 12 European countries, along with interviews of representatives from different organizations that influence policy makers. The results, through structured questionnaires for recipients of mental health services, sports and mental health professionals, and general public, have captured the experience and the prevailing perceptions about the contribution of physical exercise and sport on mental health.

“Life is Like a bike”, the European awareness campaign, is based on the results of the above European survey. It is informative but also has a motivating aspect, offering a strong confirmation to those who have adopted an active daily routine, and valid information to those who have not yet followed it, but also further strengthening of the existing initiatives.

The 12 policy papers have been presented during the final conference; the recommendations they contain are practical and implementable and give a persuasive argument justifying the contribution of sports, physical activity, and exercise for the prevention, therapy, and rehabilitation of individuals with Mental Illness in the European continent.

The MENS Project has laid the foundations for a European movement that promotes active living and introduces it as a means of preventing and dealing with mental disorders, delivering an already fertile ground to the ENALMH European Network and to a series of new initiatives, the implementation of which is foreseen in the near future.

About the project

MENS- Mental European Network of Sport Events is cofunded by DG EAC, Education and Training, Erasmus+ Sport: Support to Collaborative Partnerships aiming at developing a documented and evidence based approach of the use of sports in the treat of mental illness.