Co-Production of a Physical Activity Programme
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Co-Production of a Physical Activity Programme for People Living with Severe Mental Illness in a Secure Forensic Unit
IRAS ID
346282
Contact name
Gavin Breslin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queens University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Individuals with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) experience significantly poorer physical health outcomes, including increased cardiovascular disease risk and reduced life expectancy (Correll et al., 2017; Stubbs et al., 2018; IIyas, Chesney and Patel., 2017). Physical activity (PA) interventions have been found to be beneficial for mental and physical health, but often face limitations due to low motivation and lack of support in this population (Kandola and Osborn, 2022; Marklund et al., 2020).
However, limited research exists on PA's effects in secure forensic units (Hassan et al., 2022). Current studies indicate positive effects on psychiatric symptoms and physical health (Gholipour et al., 2012; Danielsson et al., 2016; Vinci et al., 2015), but suffer from methodological limitations and lack alignment with the Medical Research Council's (MRC) guidance for complex interventions.
Comprehensive, theory-guided assessments are required for developing interventions aimed at improving health outcomes in secure forensic settings (Farholm and Sorensen, 2016). This includes strong engagement with patients and practitioners, ensuring interventions are acceptable, implementable, cost-effective, and transferable across contexts (Skivington et al., 2021). This study aims to co-produce a PA programme for patients living with SMI in a secure forensic unit to improve mental and physical health outcomes.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
24/NI/0140
Date of REC Opinion
7 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion