Physical Activity for Affective Disorders and Cardiometabolic Comorbidity in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Affective disorders and cardiometabolic diseases are major, interlinked public health challenges in GCC countries. Depression, anxiety, stress-related symptoms, obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity (PI) frequently coexist, yet prevention and treatment pathways remain insufficiently integrated. Physical activity (PA) is supported by growing evidence as both a preventive and therapeutic intervention for depressive and anxiety symptoms, while also improving cardiometabolic risk factors. This commentary argues that exercise should be embedded into routine affective-disorder care in GCC countries through brief PA assessment, structured exercise prescription, referral pathways, and culturally adapted community programmes. Implementation should consider regional barriers, including climate, gender norms, stigma, limited access to appropriate facilities, and fragmented primary-care and mental-health services. Positioning exercise as a core component of care may help address the dual burden of affective disorders and non-communicable diseases in the region.