Exploring weight change in mental health and learning disabilities
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Body habitus in mental ill health | exploring weight changes and associated factors in secondary mental health and learning disability settings
IRAS ID
361479
Contact name
Luise Marino
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Weight changes, especially weight gain, during an admission to a mental health hospital is almost seen as inevitable, due to obesogenic effect of medication, low levels of physical activity, body dysmorphia and disordered eating habits. As a result, individuals may gain excessive amounts of weight impacting self-esteem, mood and increasing the risk of co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There is a paucity of information relating to body habitus change over time or the scale of the problem. Although weight and height are measured on admission, and nutrition screening tools available, they usually need a healthcare professional to manually complete the nutrition screen and refer to a nutrition professional for dietary support, which may not always be done. Individuals with a mental health disorder or learning disability have an increased risk of excess weight. Obesity has a big impact on health and social care systems and is a leading reason for lower healthy life expectancy. This study aims to explore weight changes over time across two mental health hospitals; to describe the scale of the problem, factors associated with weight changes and potential time points for future dietary, physical activity and psychosocial intervention for patients and staff to improve health outcomes.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0244
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion