Key result
Mental healthcare professionals were more likely to refer patients to physical activity interventions if they personally met physical activity guidelines (OR 2.56; 95% CI 0.85-7.13).
Why the study?
Physical activity interventions improve the health of people with mental illness, and referring mental healthcare professionals seem essential, but research on their behaviour, engagement, and support is scarce.
Cross-Sectional (n=115)
Mental healthcare professionals' likelihood of referring patients to physical activity interventions is positively associated with their own physical activity levels and beliefs about exercise professionals.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support promoting activity among mental HCPs to boost referrals; leaves open causality from cross-sectional data.
BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) interventions can improve mental and physical health of people with mental illness, especially when delivered by qualified exercise professionals. Also, the behaviour, engagement and support of referring mental healthcare professionals (HCP) seem essential, but research is scarce. We aimed to study HCP physical fitness and PA, and associations with their attitudes and referral practices related to physical health and PA interventions. METHODS: HCP at the Dutch Association for Psychiatry congress (2019) were invited to an online questionnaire (demographic/work characteristics, stress, PA levels, knowledge/attitudes regarding PA, referral practices) and cycle ergometer test. Strongest associations were analysed using linear and logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 115 HCP who completed the questionnaire (40 also completed the ergometer test), 43% (n = 50) met PA guidelines (i.e., ≥150min moderate-to-vigorous PA and ≥2x bone/muscle-strengthening exercises/week). Women, HCP interns/residents and HCP experiencing more stress were less active and less likely to meet PA guidelines. Conversely, there were positive associations with personal experience with an exercise professional. Knowledge/attitudes on physical health and PA were positive. HCP were more likely to refer patients to PA interventions if they met PA guidelines (OR = 2.56, 95%BI = 0.85-7.13) or had higher beliefs that exercise professionals can increase adherence to PA interventions (OR = 3.72, 95%BI = 1.52-9.14). LIMITATIONS: Mainly psychiatrists, affecting generalizability. CONCLUSIONS: HCP report the importance and relevance of PA in mental healthcare. Despite strong evidence and guidance for PA interventions in prevention and treatment, referral to such interventions partly depends on the PA behaviour and attitude of patient's physician/clinician.
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Deenik et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Mental healthcare professionals (n=115). Meeting physical activity guidelines vs. Not meeting physical activity guidelines was evaluated on Referral to physical activity interventions (OR 2.56, 95% CI 0.85-7.13). Mental healthcare professionals were more likely to refer patients to physical activity interventions if they personally met physical activity guidelines (OR 2.56; 95% CI 0.85-7.13).
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