Exercise prescription for people with mental illness: an evaluation of mental health professionals’ knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and behaviors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and behaviors of mental health professionals about physical activity and exercise for people with mental illness. Methods: The Portuguese version of The Exercise in Mental Illness Questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and behaviors about exercise prescription for people with mental illness in a sample of 73 mental health professionals (68.5% women, mean age = 37.0 years) from 10 Psychosocial Care Units (Centros de Atenc¸ã o Psicossocial) in Porto Alegre and Canoas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Results: Most of respondents had received no formal training in exercise prescription. Exercise ranked fifth as the most important treatment, and most of the sample never or occasionally prescribed exercise. The most frequently reported barriers were lack of training in physical activity and exercise prescription and social stigma related to mental illness. Professionals who themselves met recommended physical activity levels found fewer barriers to prescribing physical activity and did so with greater frequency. Conclusion: Exercise is underrated and underused as a treatment. It is necessary to include physical activity and exercise training in mental health curricula. Physically active professionals are more likely to prescribe exercise and are less likely to encounter barriers to doing so. Interventions to increase physical activity levels among mental health professionals are necessary to decrease barriers to and increase the prescription of physical activity and exercise for mental health patients.

Exercise interventions in child and adolescent mental health care: An overview of the evidence and recommendations for implementation

“…This involves targeting wide‐reaching community‐based child and adolescent mental health services, using public health initiatives, as well as looking at those providing specialist inpatient care to people already exhibiting signs of ill‐health or already prescribed psychotropic medications with substantial metabolic side‐effects (Carney et al., 2021; Eapen & John, 2011; Galling & Correll, 2015) Accredited exercise professionals should be used to deliver interventions, where possible. Previous research has shown interventions delivered by exercise professionals are more effective, delivered more efficiently, and are more acceptable to service users (Fibbins et al., 2019; Kleemann et al., 2020; Stubbs et al., 2014). Exercise professionals also have specialist training which enables any treatment to be guided by health behavior change principles (Stubbs et al., 2014) Interventions should be flexible, individualized, and sensitive to the needs and motivations of the young person, including being culturally appropriate.…”

“…Accredited exercise professionals should be used to deliver interventions, where possible. Previous research has shown interventions delivered by exercise professionals are more effective, delivered more efficiently, and are more acceptable to service users (Fibbins et al., 2019; Kleemann et al., 2020; Stubbs et al., 2014). Exercise professionals also have specialist training which enables any treatment to be guided by health behavior change principles (Stubbs et al., 2014)…”

Dilemmas in delivering health promotion activities: findings from a qualitative study of mental health nurses in Denmark

“… 44 A recent study suggests that new interventions must connect with existing practices, and that local management support is important when implementing health promotion initiatives in community mental health services. 20 …”

“…44 A recent study suggests that new interventions must connect with existing practices, and that local management support is important when implementing health promotion initiatives in community mental health services. 20 In the study by Mwebe, 5 mental health nurses viewed the monitoring and screening of the physical health needs of service users as vital, as they acknowledged that both physical and mental health needs were equally important and should receive the same attention from health professionals. Our study provides further nuancing to this picture.…”

Mental health of older people in social isolation: the role of physical activity at home during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…It is recommended that older adults perform at least 150–300 min of moderate intensity or 75–150 min of vigorous intensity physical activity or an equivalent combination of moderate intensity and aerobic physical activity of vigorous intensity, per week [ 25 ]. However, these guidelines are still underused and underestimated by health professionals in general, requiring methods to overcome these barriers [ 28 ]. The medical and sports sciences and physiotherapy, for example, have the opportunity to seek alternatives, innovations and solutions to these problems and limitations.…”