Lauren S. Aaronson Pilot Awardee: Emily Mailey, Ph.D., Kansas State University

By Frontiers , Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Aug 22, 2024

Lauren S. Aaronson Pilot Award Project: Integrating nature-based physical activity into mental healthcare: Development of a toolkit and training intervention for university counseling center

Most of us understand, or have been told about, the physical benefits of exercise. Engaging in exercise can help control weight, reduce disease risk, and strengthen your body. Emily Mailey, Ph.D., director of the Physical Activity Intervention Research Lab at Kansas State University (K-State), wants us to know there are more than just physical benefits to exercising. Crucially, exercise benefits our mental well-being too, helping manage stress, energy levels, mood, and mental health.

With her background in kinesiology, Mailey is interested in how to promote physical activity and what motivates people to be active. She is also interested in how physical activity can alleviate mental health concerns.

“There’s pretty strong evidence that exercise is effective in the prevention and treatment of depression, anxiety, and some other mental health disorders,” Mailey said.

In her pilot project, Mailey is partnering with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at K-State to develop a nature-based physical activity program as part of group therapy services to improve mental health. Over the next year, Mailey and her team will develop a toolkit to explain how to implement their program and ensure that it will work cohesively with the existing programs at CAPS. Additionally, Mailey will train CAPS group facilitators and run a small initial group to see if the program is feasible and effective. During the group meetings, participants will spend time doing some outdoor physical activity and discussing strategies to help them be more active outdoors. Participants will also work with their group facilitators to talk through other things related to their depression and anxiety challenges.

Mailey is focusing on outdoor/nature-based physical activity to alleviate anxiety and depression in college students for several reasons. First, there may be unique, additive benefits associated with spending time in nature, and this type of activity is free and accessible for everyone. Second, physical activity benefits for mental health can be immediate and consequently people may be more likely to exercise if they can feel the benefits to their mood. Mailey also emphasizes the unique position that psychotherapists and therapy groups are in: “compared to other healthcare professions, mental health providers tend to spend more time with their clients.” Patients working with a therapist or participating in a therapy group have extended interaction time with their providers which can help build the relationship between the patient and provider. Because of this, psychotherapists and therapy groups may be better equipped to help motivate patients to exercise. There have been recent reports of student mental health declining across college campuses, so Mailey’s development of a program to improve mental health through outdoor activity is timely and, if it is effective, could be implemented at other universities to promote mental and physical health.