A NEW study has highlighted the link between mental health, physical activity, and pain in women suffering from chronic pelvic pain disorders (CPPDs), a condition affecting 1 in 7 women worldwide. Using mobile health (mHealth) tracking, researchers have found that engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can significantly improve mental well-being, regardless of pain levels or prior psychiatric history.
CPPDs are often accompanied by high rates of depression and anxiety, yet treatment options remain limited, leaving many patients with persistent symptoms. In this study, researchers tracked 76 women over 14 weeks, collecting 4,270 person-days of data using wearable activity trackers and self-reported measures of mental health, physical function, and pain.
Key findings revealed that MVPA had a strong positive impact on mental health scores, even after accounting for pain and other health factors. Additionally, physical functioning was linked to better mental well-being, while higher pain levels correlated with worse mental health outcomes.
These insights demonstrate the potential of wearable technology and mobile health applications in monitoring mental health and lifestyle factors in CPPD patients. The researchers emphasise that personalised activity recommendations based on mHealth data could be an effective strategy to support mental health in this population.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
Ensari I et al. Trajectories of mHealth-tracked mental health symptoms and their predictors in chronic pelvic pain. J Pain Res. 2025;DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.025.24314368v2.
