Key result
Clinician interviews identify individual, systemic, and organizational barriers to inpatient exercise for severe mental illness.
Why the study?
Despite the benefits of exercise for people with severe mental illness, an evidence-practice gap exists and little is known about inpatient mental health staff perspectives on exercise facilitation.
Clinicians recognize the benefits of exercise for patients with severe mental illness but identify significant individual, systemic, and organizational barriers to its implementation in inpatient settings.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Barriers may limit exercise integration for severe mental illness inpatients; leaves open targeted implementation strategies for testing.
Exercise has multiple benefits for the physical and mental health of people with severe mental health problems (SMI). However, people with SMI engage in significantly less exercise than the general population and there is an evidence-practice gap regarding the implementation of exercise in clinical services. Mental health staff in inpatient services are well placed to support people with SMI to exercise, yet little is known about staff perspectives on exercise facilitation in inpatient care. This study aimed to explore staff views on role for exercise for people with SMI and the barriers and facilitators to exercise implementation in inpatient services. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 clinicians working in inpatient mental health settings. Interview topics included the role for exercise in inpatient services, staff roles in relation to exercise, the barriers and facilitators to patients’ engagement in exercise, and promotion of exercise. Interview data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Four key themes were developed: (i) perceived patient factors, (ii) exercise in the context of relationships, (iii) the ward context, and (iv) the therapeutic role for exercise. Clinicians readily recognised the benefits of service users engaging in exercise, though identified a number of individual, systemic, and organisational barriers to exercise implementation in inpatient services. Organisational prioritisation of exercise and support for staff to develop their skills and confidence in exercise facilitation is required. Enhancing the legitimacy of exercise as a multi-beneficial intervention for people with SMI is essential. Further recommendations for services based on the study findings are provided.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ball et al. (2022) studied Severe mental illness (n=25). Exercise implementation was evaluated on Staff views on the role for exercise and barriers/facilitators to implementation. Qualitative interviews with 25 clinicians identified individual, systemic, and organizational barriers to implementing exercise for patients with severe mental illness in inpatient services.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: