Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study

Background People with mental illness die on average 15 years less than the general population, primarily to cardiometabolic disease. Lifestyle interventions are effective in reducing cardiometabolic risk but are not routinely provided to mental health consumers. Lifestyle interventions targeting me...

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Main Authors: Simon Rosenbaum, Oscar Lederman, Hamish Fibbins, Philip B Ward, Jackie Curtis, Andrew Watkins, Rachel Morell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-12-01
Series:BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
Online Access:https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000761.full
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author Simon Rosenbaum
Oscar Lederman
Hamish Fibbins
Philip B Ward
Jackie Curtis
Andrew Watkins
Rachel Morell
author_facet Simon Rosenbaum
Oscar Lederman
Hamish Fibbins
Philip B Ward
Jackie Curtis
Andrew Watkins
Rachel Morell
author_sort Simon Rosenbaum
collection DOAJ
description Background People with mental illness die on average 15 years less than the general population, primarily to cardiometabolic disease. Lifestyle interventions are effective in reducing cardiometabolic risk but are not routinely provided to mental health consumers. Lifestyle interventions targeting mental health staff may be beneficial in changing culture surrounding physical health and subsequently improving consumer outcomes. This study examines exercise and fitness outcomes of a targeted lifestyle intervention directed at Australian mental health staff.Methods A pragmatic single-arm intervention study was conducted within an Australian public mental health service. Mental health staff were provided a five-session individualised lifestyle intervention (incorporating exercise and nutritional counselling) over 5 weeks. Two waves of the programme were delivered between 2015 and 2016. This paper examines the exercise and fitness outcomes of the second wave of the study. Participants were assessed at baseline and at a 16-week follow-up. The primary exercise outcome was a measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness. Secondary outcomes included self-reported physical activity and a measurement of handgrip strength.Results A total of 106 staff participated in this component of the study. Cardiorespiratory fitness increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (p<0.001). Significant improvements to physical activity occurred with decreases in sedentary time (p<0.0005) and increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (p<0.005).Conclusion Lifestyle interventions incorporating exercise counselling may improve the physical health of mental health staff. Such strategies may be effective in improving culture surrounding physical health and/or increasing the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions targeting mental health consumers.
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spelling doaj-art-6961d2a15a464a7396e7ff8d69c528232025-08-20T01:47:37ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472020-12-016110.1136/bmjsem-2020-000761Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind studySimon Rosenbaum0Oscar Lederman1Hamish Fibbins2Philip B Ward3Jackie Curtis4Andrew Watkins5Rachel Morell6School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaKeeping the Body in Mind Program, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSchool of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaDiscipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney New South Wales, Australia; Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, UNSW, Liverpool BC, New South Wales, AustraliaSchool of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaKeeping the Body in Mind Program, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSchool of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaBackground People with mental illness die on average 15 years less than the general population, primarily to cardiometabolic disease. Lifestyle interventions are effective in reducing cardiometabolic risk but are not routinely provided to mental health consumers. Lifestyle interventions targeting mental health staff may be beneficial in changing culture surrounding physical health and subsequently improving consumer outcomes. This study examines exercise and fitness outcomes of a targeted lifestyle intervention directed at Australian mental health staff.Methods A pragmatic single-arm intervention study was conducted within an Australian public mental health service. Mental health staff were provided a five-session individualised lifestyle intervention (incorporating exercise and nutritional counselling) over 5 weeks. Two waves of the programme were delivered between 2015 and 2016. This paper examines the exercise and fitness outcomes of the second wave of the study. Participants were assessed at baseline and at a 16-week follow-up. The primary exercise outcome was a measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness. Secondary outcomes included self-reported physical activity and a measurement of handgrip strength.Results A total of 106 staff participated in this component of the study. Cardiorespiratory fitness increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (p<0.001). Significant improvements to physical activity occurred with decreases in sedentary time (p<0.0005) and increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (p<0.005).Conclusion Lifestyle interventions incorporating exercise counselling may improve the physical health of mental health staff. Such strategies may be effective in improving culture surrounding physical health and/or increasing the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions targeting mental health consumers.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000761.full
spellingShingle Simon Rosenbaum
Oscar Lederman
Hamish Fibbins
Philip B Ward
Jackie Curtis
Andrew Watkins
Rachel Morell
Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study
BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
title Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study
title_full Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study
title_fullStr Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study
title_full_unstemmed Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study
title_short Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study
title_sort effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff analysis of physical fitness and activity in the keeping our staff in mind study
url https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000761.full
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