Journal article
Stepping up early treatment for help-seeking youth with at-risk mental states: Feasibility and acceptability of a real-world exercise program
Early Intervention in Psychiatry, Vol.14(4), pp.450-462
2020
PMID: 31531959
Abstract
Youth with at-risk mental states (ARMS) have low levels of physical activity (PA), reduced fitness levels and experience poor sleep quality. These lifestyle factors exacerbate mental health symptoms and increase cardiometabolic disease risk. PA interventions can help prevent this decline in physical health whilst reducing mental health symptom severity. Whether PA interventions are feasible and acceptable amongst youth with ARMS is unclear. This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of headspace Active, a pragmatic PA program offered to 14 to 25 year olds with ARMS. The 12-week exercise physiologist-led intervention was conducted in adjunct to usual care. Feasibility was determined by number of referrals, attendance, engagement in exercise sessions and dropout from the intervention. Acceptability was assessed by a 10-item questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included anthropometry, cardiorespiratory fitness and strength. Subjective PA levels, symptoms of depression and anxiety, sleep, motivation and quality of life were also assessed. Within 12 months, 77% of referrals completed the 12-week intervention (n = 20), with six dropouts. Of the 20 "completers", 95% attended at least five sessions over the 12-week intervention. Participants found the program highly acceptable (mean = 41.2/50 on the 10-item acceptability questionnaire) and experienced significant improvements in PA, strength, motivation, depressive symptoms and sleep quality post-intervention. No changes in anthropometry were observed. Results suggest headspace Active was feasible and acceptable and was associated with improvements in physical and mental health outcomes among ARMS youth. Given the potential scalability of this real-world PA program to other youth mental health settings, these data have implications for best practice implementation of PA interventions for individuals with emerging mental illness.
Details
- Title
- Stepping up early treatment for help-seeking youth with at-risk mental states: Feasibility and acceptability of a real-world exercise program
- Authors
- Oscar Lederman (Corresponding Author) - UNSW AustraliaPhilip B Ward (Author) - UNSW AustraliaSimon Rosenbaum (Author) - UNSW AustraliaChris Maloney (Author) - UNSW AustraliaAndrew Watkins (Author) - University of Technology SydneyScott Teasdale (Author) - UNSW AustraliaRachel Morell (Author) - UNSW AustraliaJackie Curtis (Author) - UNSW Australia
- Publication details
- Early Intervention in Psychiatry, Vol.14(4), pp.450-462
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
- DOI
- 10.1111/eip.12871
- PMID
- 31531959
- Organisation Unit
- Thompson Institute; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99472505102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
16 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Psychiatry
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites