Effects of an exercise programme on anxiety in adults with intellectual disabilities

Although high levels of anxiety in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) have been consistently reported and despite exercise has been systematically recognised as having beneficial effects on anxiety in general population, only one study has been found to assess the role of exercise on the anxiety levels of ID people. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week exercise programme on anxiety states in a group of adults with ID. Twenty-seven individuals with mild to moderate ID were randomly assigned to an exercise group (n = 14) or a control group (n = 13). The Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale adapted for individuals with ID (SAS-ID) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y (STAI-Y) were used to assess trait and state anxiety. In comparison with the control group, the anxiety scores of people in the exercise group decreased significantly (p < 0.001) over time.