Strength training integrated in long term collaborative care of patients with schizophrenia

INTRODUCTION: Skeletal muscle strength is reduced in patients with schizophrenia, contributing to their impaired physical health, functional performance, and potentially mental health challenges. Although short-term training programs have shown promising results, improving muscle strength and functional performance, it is unknown how exercise can be successfully integrated into the long-term clinical care of outpatients with schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of strength training with adherence support in a collaborative care model. METHODS: We randomized 28 men and 20 women (mean ± SD, 35 ± 11 years) to leg press maximal strength training (MST) with 4 sets at 90 % of one repetition maximum (1RM) 2 × week, facilitated by municipal service and professional supervision (TG), or a control group (CG). RESULTS: The TG increased scaled leg press 1RM (0-3 months: 19 %; 0-6 months: 31 %, 0-12 months: 40 %, all p < .001, and 3-12 months: 18 %, p < .05) and power (0-3 months, 11 %; 0-6 months: 22 %, 0-12 months: 26 %, all p < .001, and 3-12 months: 13 %, p < .05) throughout the 1-year period compared to the CG. The increased muscle strength was accompanied by improved sit-to-stand performance (20 %) after 12 months (p < .001). Both groups also exhibited within-group improvements in walking work efficiency after 6 months (TG: 13 %; CG: 23 %) and 1 year (TG: 11 %; CG: 21 %, p < .01-0.05), but with no evident differences between the groups. Stair climbing performance remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal that strength training can successfully be integrated as a part of long-term clinical care of outpatients with schizophrenia, contributing to improved functional performance.