title: Motivational factors associated with physical activity and quality of life in people with severe mental illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been increasing interest for investigating the role of motivation in physical activity among people with severe mental illness (SMI). Autonomous motivation has been suggested to have a potentially important role in adoption and maintenance of physical activity. However, the knowledge about factors that facilitate autonomous motivation among people with SMI is scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with motivation for physical activity as well as the relationships between motivation, physical activity and health-related quality of life in individuals with SMI that were currently physically active.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional design was used, and 88 participants were recruited from a public health network promoting physical activity for people with SMI. They answered a questionnaire package consisting of scales measuring psychological need support - psychological need satisfaction - and motivation for physical activity, physical activity and health-related quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of participants reported to be in regular physical activity. Associations between variables were tested according to the self-determination theory process model. Structural equation modelling yielded good fit of the process model to the data. Specifically, a need-supportive environment was positively associated with psychological need satisfaction, while psychological need satisfaction was positively associated with autonomous motivation and mental health-related quality of life, and negatively associated with controlled motivation and amotivation. Physical activity was positively associated with autonomous motivation and physical health-related quality of life, and negatively associated with amotivation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that individuals with SMI can be regularly physically active when provided with suitable opportunities. Furthermore, the present results suggest that it is vital for health-care practitioners to emphasise creating a need-supportive environment when organising physical activity because such an environment is associated with both increased autonomous motivation for physical activity and mental health-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Coaching and Psychology, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farholm
authors.affiliation: Department of Coaching and Psychology, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Coaching and Psychology, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.|School of Business and Social Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Hønefoss, Norway.
authors.forename: Hallgeir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Halvari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: mental disorder; motivation; physical activity; psychological need satisfaction; psychological need support; self-determination; well-being