Evaluation of the Coping Through Football Project: Physical Activity and Psychosocial Outcomes

Abstract

Background: Football is increasingly used as an adjunct intervention for people with mental problems, intended to improve their mental, physical and social health. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate psychosocial outcomes and physical activity in participants of “Coping Through Football” (CTF), a London-based football intervention for people who receive secondary mental health care. Methods: In a one group pre-post study design, participants completed self-report measures on physical activity and mental well-being at baseline (i.e. when joining the intervention), and at 6 months and 12 months thereafter. Perceived quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF which assess domains such as physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships and environment. The Rosenberg Self-esteem scale was used to measure self-esteem in the participants. Self-reported physical activity (vigorous activity, moderate activity, walking and sitting) was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity questionnaire (IPAQ). Results: For the 6 months follow up, data was available for 72 participants; at 12 month follow up data was available for 32 participants. Levels of vigorous activity doubled between baseline (102.98 min/week) and the short term follow up (196.85 min/week) as well as between baseline (117.26 min/week) and the one year follow up (248.23 min/week). For moderate activity, we find similar results with an improvement from 78.13 min/week at baseline to 149 min/week at the short term follow up and an increase from 87.74 min/week at baseline to 209.61 min/week. Increases on psychosocial measures were more modest, reaching significance at only the 6 month time point. There were no statistically significant changes with regard to the time spent sitting or walking at either the 6 or the 12 month follow up. Conclusion: While the impact on psychosocial measures was only moderate, the increase in physical activity in participants encourages the use of adjunct football interventions for people with mental health problems as a means to increase physical activity levels.

Developing a theory-driven framework for a football intervention for men with severe, moderate or enduring mental health problems: a participatory realist synthesis

“…This review was limited by an overall small evidence base. These limitations have been noted in previous work (Friedrich & Mason, 2017b). The quality of the evidence base was generally low (indicated by several grey publications) but with some robust in-depth qualitative studies that begin to identify programme theory.…”

“…Physical activity-, sport-and recreation-based interventions are an increasingly important adjunct therapy for people with severe-to-moderate and enduring mental health problems (Fenton et al, 2017;Soundy, Roskell, Stubbs, Probst, & Vancampfort, 2015). Football interventions are particularly popular in the UK, especially among men, owing in part to their "gender congruence" (Curran et al, 2016;Friedrich & Mason, 2017a, 2017bMcardle, Mcgale, & Gaffney, 2012;Spandler, Roy, & Mckeown, 2014). Several interventions have been developed and existing evidence suggests that football-based mental health interventions are broadly acceptable and can derive benefits such as: reducing stigma associated with clinical environments; reducing social isolation; improvements in physical health and provide opportunities for normalising social activity (Mason & Holt, 2012).…”

“Football is pure enjoyment”: An exploration of the behaviour change processes which facilitate engagement in football for people with mental health problems

“…These programmes provide opportunities for playing football, coaching and refereeing football. Service user evaluations found that the benefits are wide ranging and can enhance physical, mental and social well-being (Friedrich & Mason, 2018, Friedrich & Mason, 2017b, Dyer & Mills, 2011, importantly these were conducted in a perceived safe and understanding environment (Mason & Holt, 2012). Further benefits of football among people with mental health problems have been reported away from professional football club trusts and within mental health services.…”

Integrating physical activity into the treatment of depression in adults: A qualitative enquiry

“…This includes a structural component (the form of social networks) and a cognitive component (the quality of social interactions within the network; Bourdieu, 1986; Foxton & Jones, 2011; Harper, 2002; Stafford et al., 2008). The cognitive component of social capital includes people's feelings of attachment to an area, and, inter alia, their ability to call on or give practical help to others as well as develop and maintain social relationships with them (Friedrich & Mason, 2017; Lamont et al., 2017). All of those factors were identified in the data here as important, either as ‘unintended consequences’ of PA or as the reason for its maintenance.…”