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Exploring the role of physical activity for people diagnosed with serious mental illness in I reland
Author(s) -
Cullen C.,
McCann E.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1365-2850
pISSN - 1351-0126
DOI - 10.1111/jpm.12179
Subject(s) - mental health , physical activity , mental illness , quality of life (healthcare) , psychology , qualitative research , exploratory research , medicine , psychiatry , nursing , physical therapy , social science , sociology , anthropology
Accessible summary The aim of the study was to elicit the views and opinions of people diagnosed with serious mental illness in relation to physical activity. Ten people who were attending a community mental health centre participated in semi‐structured interviews. The main results showed that participants found physical activity beneficial in terms of psychological and social well‐being and perceived clear gains in relation to recovery and quality of life. Physical activity should be routinely included in plans of care and mental health policy guidelines globally should contain physical activity as a key component. Mental health policy guidelines globally should contain physical activity as a key component.Abstract The aim of the current study was to explore the subjective experiences of people diagnosed with serious mental illness ( SMI ) in relation to physical activity. The study was conducted using a qualitative exploratory descriptive approach. The participants ( n = 10), who were outpatients attending a day centre, were interviewed to elicit their views and opinions about physical activity. The data were thematically analysed using a recognized framework. The main themes that emerged included physical activity as a meaningful activity, physical activity as a mental activity, quality of life and recovery, and perceived challenges to physical activity. The unique perspectives of service users provides fresh insights on the topic and the findings support the justification for the inclusion of physical activity in plans of care and to be contained in global mental health policy directives.