RESUMEN
The growing influence of technology in the realm of mental health presents promising prospects for patients with psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia. The objective of this study is to investigate the perceptions of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder regarding the utilization of technology and social media. The qualitative methodology used consists of an individual structured interview and the data were subjected to thematic analysis. The results show that the participants use digital tools for various activities such as work, searching for information, entertainment, and socialising. Their perceptions confirm the usefulness and easy accessibility of these tools, which enable positive changes in the organisation of daily life and social relationships. In general, it is possible to identify both positive and negative aspects of technology and social media, such as abuse and addictive behaviour, network and information overload problems, and the risk that privacy may not be guaranteed; among the positive ones, the promotion of remote sociability, speed in carrying out tasks and acquiring useful information emerge. Most of the participants express a positive perception of the possibility that digital tools can help in the field of mental health.
RESUMEN
(1) Background: we aimed to investigate the effects of physical activity on cognitive functions and deficits of healthy population and other needy groups. Secondly, we investigated the relation between healthy habits and psychopathological risks. Finally, we investigated the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on exercise addiction and possible associated disorders. (2) Methods: From April 2021 to October 2021, we conducted a review aimed at identifying the effects of physical exercise on mental health, from cognitive improvements to risk of addiction; we searched for relevant studies on PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINHAL. (3) Results: For the first purpose, results indicated multiple effects such as better precision and response speed in information processing tasks on healthy populations; improvement of executive functions, cognitive flexibility and school performance in children; improvement of attention and executive functions and less hyperactivity and impulsiveness on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); improvement of executive and global functions on adults; improvement of overall cognitive functioning on patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder. Data also demonstrated that exercise addiction seems to be related to low levels of education, low self-esteem, eating disorders and body dysmorphisms. Eventually, it was found that people with lower traits and intolerance of uncertainty show a strong association between COVID-19 anxiety and compulsive exercise and eating disorder. (4) Conclusions: these findings underline on one side the beneficial effects of physical activity on cognitive function in healthy individuals in a preventive and curative key, while on the other side the importance of an adequate evaluation of psychological distress and personality characteristics associated with exercise addiction.
