Physiotherapy and mental illness V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are the experiences, access and views of people with mental illness and healthcare staff of physiotherapy? A qualitative and survey study of to explore experiences of falls, fractures, pain and rehabilitation
IRAS ID
265319
Contact name
Brendon Stubbs
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
Our recent research has shown that people with severe mental illness (SMI) (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) are at increased risk of having brittle bones (osteoporosis), be less steady on their feet and more likely to experience pain but less likely to have treatment for this. However, no evidence has been developed to prevent and manage these issues. Lifestyle interventions such as increasing physical activity are important to maintain good weight and health, but it is unclear if people with SMI are able to access and benefit from these services. Our PPI group of people with mental health conditions who have experienced these common complaints have told us this is an important issue and they would like better joined up care to address these physical complaints. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative research is to understand SMI patients and healthcare staff experiences of managing pain, falls, fractures, rehabilitation and access to lifestyle services, and ultimately to provide better and more inclusive care pathways and develop an intervention for people with SMI to improve these common complaints.
Three groups of participants will be eligible: 1) SMI patients who have experienced a fall, fracture, pain, any physical health conditions requiring rehabilitation or access to lifestyle services; 2) mental healthcare staff and 3) acute hospital staff who have had experience of managing physical health in people with SMI. This research is funded by King’s College London. Participants will be recruited from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Participants will be invited for individual or focus group interviews which will last 60 minutes. Informed consent will be obtained from each person to undertake the research and record the interviews. These interviews will take place on Teams. To ensure cybersecurity and participants’ privacy, each participant will be invited to his/her own Team meeting room via a secure link.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0026
Date of REC Opinion
13 Jan 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion