Increasing physical activity in patients with mental illness--A randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Mental illness often leads to reduced physical activity levels.
• Standard rehabilitation programs may not sufficiently address post-treatment physical activity maintenance.
• Motivational interventions show promise in enhancing health behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if a motivational-volitional intervention boosts physical activity post-treatment in psychiatric patients.
• To determine the impact of an added intervention on exercise levels in individuals with mental illness.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of motivational strategies in a rehabilitation setting.

Main Methods:

• 112 inpatients were randomized into a control group (standard care) or intervention group (standard care + motivational program).
• Assessments were conducted at four time points to track changes.
• The intervention focused on motivational and volitional aspects of physical activity.

Main Results:

• The intervention group (IG) showed a 95 min/week increase in exercise compared to the control group (CG) at 6 months (p=.02).
• IG participants improved goal intentions (p=.03 at 6 months) and self-efficacy (p=.001 during intervention).
• While volitional aspects changed over time, the effect was not specific to the IG.

Conclusions:

• The motivational intervention effectively increased physical activity in minimally active patients with mental illness.
• Emphasizing motivational effects in interventions is crucial, as volitional aspects may be adequately addressed by standard rehabilitation.
• This approach can be valuable for improving long-term physical activity in psychiatric populations.