Impact of Exercise Groups on Patient Mental Health and Wellbeing in an Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Unit
Status
Conditions
Treatments
Details and patient eligibility
About
More research is needed to elucidate the impacts of physical activity interventions on short- and long-term activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in psychiatric inpatients and to support its advantageousness when compared to current standards of care. To investigate the impact of regular exercise on activity level, NPS, and sleep in an inpatient psychiatry unit, the investigators propose a placebo-controlled study with measures of activity, mood, anxiety, energy, and sleep as primary outcomes in 50 psychiatric inpatients at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Given the challenges of maintaining blinded assignment to treatment arm, the investigators will compare patients during two time periods (3 months each): the first is treatment as usual (TAU), the second adds exercise intervention (EXI).
Full description
Growing evidence suggests that physical activity is associated with increased cognitive functioning and improved mental health. A recent meta-analysis demonstrated an inverse, dose-response association between physical activity and depression, particularly at lower activity volumes. Similarly, exercise has been shown to be associated with decreased anxiety, improved sleep, and reduced cognitive deficits in outpatient settings.
Despite the beneficial impacts of regular physical activity on mental health, physical activity is often low in psychiatric inpatient settings. Common barriers to exercise include lack of time and resources, limited staff knowledge, and competing treatment priorities. Organizational policy such as strict security procedures and restricted patient movement may also limit consistent integration of exercise into care. Finally, individuals with severe mental illness more commonly have sedentary lifestyles and may experience sedative side-effects of medication, which further limit ability to engage in physical activity.
There is limited literature on the impact of interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in psychiatric inpatient settings, however preliminary research suggests that these interventions may have positive short-term impacts on patients' mood and self-esteem. Investigators have found that over 90% of inpatients noted improved mood and body perception immediately following a structured exercise program. Moreover, there is evidence that psychiatric inpatients have a positive viewpoint of psychical activity intervention as part of psychiatric treatment and believe it will benefit the patients health. Given these findings, more research is needed to elucidate the impacts of physical activity interventions on short- and long-term activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in psychiatric inpatients and to support its advantages when compared to current standards of care.
Thus, to investigate the impact of regular exercise on activity level, NPS, and sleep in an inpatient psychiatry unit, the investigators propose a placebo-controlled study with measures of activity, mood, anxiety, energy, and sleep as primary outcomes in 60 psychiatric inpatients at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Half of the participants will be assigned to the exercise intervention (EXI) group, and the other half will be assigned to the treatment as usual (TAU) group. Group assignment will be made based on timing of study enrollment - the first 30 participants will be assigned to the TAU group, while the subsequent 30 participants will be assigned to the EXI group. Activity will be measured via actigraphy and self-report.
Enrollment
Sex
Ages
Volunteers
Inclusion criteria
- Psychiatric inpatients admitted to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Acute Psychiatric Unit (APU)
- Aged 18 years or older
- Able to give informed consent and understand the tasks involved
- In the opinion of the unit attending, the patient is sufficiently psychologically or medically stable to safely participate in the exercise intervention
- Patients using mobility devices such as canes, walkers, and wheelchairs are eligible for inclusion as exercises can be completed in modifiable positions as needed.
Exclusion criteria
- Patients who do not speak English as their primary language.
- Patients with a history of physical or neurological conditions that interfere with study procedures.
- Patients demonstrating behavior that would be a safety concern if placed in a group at the discretion of occupational therapy, the medical team, or the nursing team.
- A patient can be excluded if in the opinion of the treatment team on the unit, participation in the study would have a negative impact on the patient's mental health or treatment plan.
Trial design
Primary purpose
Allocation
Interventional model
Masking
60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group
Trial contacts and locations
Loading...
Central trial contact
Matthew E Peters, MD
Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov
Clinical trials
Research sites
Resources
Legal