Relationship between Depression and Exercise among Male Inmates

Relationship between Depression and Exercise among Male Inmates
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Relationship between Depression and Exercise among Male Inmates
The rise in the problem of mental illness among inmates is said to be far too high as compared to that experienced in the general population. According to Fazel, Hayes, Bartellas, Clerici, and Trestman (2016), there are more than ten million prisoners globally, and the number of prisoners with mental illnesses is higher compared to that of the general population. The extent to which prisons contribute to mental disorders is unknown. However, the rate of treatment of prisoners with mental issues is meager. In some countries, the number of individuals with mental illnesses in prisons exceeds the number of patients in psychiatric hospitals. However, these individuals continue being neglected, and very little assistance is given to the prisoners. As a result, prisons might experience constant cases of suicide, victimization, and other risk factors that might arise. Research has shown that female inmates are more likely to suffer from mental problems compared to male inmates (Drapalski, Youman, Steuwig, & Tangney, 2009).
Nonetheless, a large number of male inmates also show symptoms of mental illness. Exercising is known to help and improve various health problems. Research on anxiety and depression also prove that exercise is capable of easing the symptoms of depression. Research has also proven that high physical activity levels improve the quality of life among male inmates (Mannoci, Mipatrini, Rizzo, Meggiolaro, Di Thiene, & La Torre, 2015).
Nonetheless, whether physical activity also reduces the chances of mental illness is still a subject of discussion. Against this backdrop, this research aims at investigating the relationship between depression and exercise among male inmates. More specifically, the research investigates whether male inmates who exercise have less a chance of getting depressed compared to male inmates who do not exercise.
The five questions to be answered by this research are:
How does exercise relate to low levels of depression among inmates?
What is the comparison in the number of male prisoners with mental illnesses who have been exercising to those who have not been exercising?
What are the measures put in place to help inmates who are developing or have already developed mental illnesses?
What kinds of exercise and training programs are most useful in reducing depression among male inmates?
What male characteristics associated with physical exercise makes it possible for the activity to help in reducing the chances of mental illness?
The feasibility of these research questions is based on some factors. I consider the questions, feasible because they can be answered in an empirical environment, which in this case is the correctional facility. There are also adequate resources to answer the questions, the study will take place within a span of two months, hence providing enough time for answering the questions when conducting the study, and the correctional setting I work in offers an adequate pool of participants from the population of interest to help in answering the research questions. M...