Improving the health of mental health staff through exercise interventions: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Exercise interventions are efficacious in reducing cardiometabolic risk and improving symptoms in people with severe mental illness, yet evidence guiding the implementation and scalability of such efforts is lacking. Given increasing efforts to address the disparity in physical health outcomes facing people with a mental illness, novel approaches to increasing adoption of effective interventions are required. Exercise interventions targeting mental health staff may improve staff health while also creating more positive attitudes towards the role of lifestyle interventions for people experiencing mental illness.

Aims: We aimed to determine the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of exercise interventions delivered to staff working in mental health services.

Method: A systematic review was conducted from database inception, until November 2017. Studies recruiting staff participants to receive an exercise intervention were eligible for inclusion.

Results: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Physical health interventions for mental health staff were feasible and acceptable with low dropout rates. Reductions in anthropometric measures and work-related stress were reported.

Conclusions: Limited evidence suggests that exercise interventions targeting mental health staff are feasible and acceptable. Further research is required to determine the efficacy of such interventions and the impact such strategies may have on staff culture and patient outcomes.

Keywords: Exercise; inpatient; mental illness; psychiatry; staff; systematic review.