Exercise prescription for people with mental illness: an evaluation of mental health professionals knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and behaviors

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and behaviors of mental health professionals about physical activity and exercise for people with mental illness. Methods: The Portuguese version of The Exercise in Mental Illness Questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and behaviors about exercise prescription for people with mental illness in a sample of 73 mental health professionals (68.5% women, mean age = 37.0 years) from 10 Psychosocial Care Units (Centros de Atenção Psicossocial) in Porto Alegre and Canoas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Results: Most of respondents had received no formal training in exercise prescription. Exercise ranked fifth as the most important treatment, and most of the sample never or occasionally prescribed exercise. The most frequently reported barriers were lack of training in physical activity and exercise prescription and social stigma related to mental illness. Professionals who themselves met recommended physical activity levels found fewer barriers to prescribing physical activity and did so with greater frequency. Conclusion: Exercise is underrated and underused as a treatment. It is necessary to include physical activity and exercise training in mental health curricula. Physically active professionals are more likely to prescribe exercise and are less likely to encounter barriers to doing so. Interventions to increase physical activity levels among mental health professionals are necessary to decrease barriers to and increase the prescription of physical activity and exercise for mental health patients.

Barriers and facilitators perceived by people with bipolar disorder for the practice of exercise: a qualitative study / Barreiras e facilitadores percebidos por pessoas com transtorno bipolar para a prática de exercício físico: um estudo qualitativo

Abstract Introduction Exercising regularly has benefits for people with bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, as a group, these patients tend to be less physically active than the general population and little is known from the viewpoint of the patients about the barriers and facilitators to such a practice. Objective To know the barriers and facilitators perceived by people with bipolar disorder for the practice of exercise. Methods This study had a descriptive, qualitative, exploratory nature. The investigation method used for data collection was a semi-structured in-depth interview, using grounded theory as theoretical framework. Results The data analysis generated two main areas of interest: adherence to regular physical exercise (barriers and facilitators) and the participants' exercise history and perception of disease management, as described below. The main findings were: most of our sample did not exercise regularly, nor knew how exercise can positively influence their disorder; with regard to adherence to physical exercise, the presence of symptoms and stigma were the most important barriers to the practice of physical exercise. Social support, especially from family and friends, could be a facilitator to the practice of exercise. Conclusions Even considering the limitations for generalization of qualitative and exploratory studies, understanding perceived barriers and facilitators for the practice of exercise among people who suffer with bipolar disorder may contribute to the promotion of activities in which people with mental illness can participate.

Resumo Introdução A prática regular de exercício físico tem benefícios para pessoas com transtorno bipolar. No entanto, como grupo, esses pacientes tendem a ser mais sedentários do que a população geral, e pouco se sabe do ponto de vista dos pacientes sobre as barreiras e facilitadores para tal prática. Objetivo Conhecer as barreiras e facilitadores percebidos por pessoas com transtorno bipolar para a prática de exercício. Métodos Este foi um estudo descritivo, qualitativo e exploratório. O método de investigação utilizado na coleta de dados foi entrevista semiestruturada em profundidade, segundo a grounded theory. Resultados A análise dos conteúdos que surgiram nas entrevistas gerou duas principais áreas de interesse: adesão ao exercício físico regular (barreiras e facilitadores) e a história de exercícios dos participantes e a percepção do manejo da doença. Os principais achados foram: a maioria da nossa amostra não se exercitava regularmente, nem mesmo sabia como a prática regular podia influenciar positivamente sua doença; em relação à adesão ao exercício físico, a presença dos sintomas e do estigma foram as barreiras mais importantes para praticar o exercício físico. O apoio social, especialmente da família e dos amigos, pode ser um facilitador da adesão ao exercício. Conclusões Apesar das limitações de um estudo qualitativo e exploratório, conhecer as barreiras e os facilitadores percebidos para a prática de exercício entre pessoas que sofrem de transtorno bipolar pode facilitar a promoção de atividades onde essas pessoas possam participar e se beneficiar efetivamente.

Effects of aquatic exercise on mental health, functional autonomy and oxidative stress in depressed elderly individuals: A randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aquatic exercise on mental health, functional autonomy and oxidative stress parameters in depressed elderly individuals. METHODS: Initially, ninety-two elderly individuals were included in the study and were allocated into the depression group (n=16) and nondepression group (n=14). Both groups engaged in the aquatic exercise program for 12 weeks, including two weekly sessions (45 min/session) at a low intensity (between 50% and 60% of maximal heart rate or Borg scale scores of 13 to 14) throughout the intervention. All outcomes were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks later. RESULTS: The patients were 63.5±8.8 years old. The following scores were decreased after training in the depressed group: depression (53%), anxiety (48%), and Timed Up & Go (33%). The following scores increased: Berg Balance Scale (9%) and flexibility (44%). Regarding the blood-based parameters, there were decreases in protein carbonylation (46%) and nitric oxide (60%) and increases in glutathione (170%) and superoxide dismutase (160%) in the depression group (p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The aquatic exercise program reduces depression and anxiety, improves functional autonomy and decreases oxidative stress in depressed elderly individuals.

Exercise for depression in older adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials adjusting for publication bias

Objective: To evaluate the antidepressant effects of exercise in older adults, using randomized controlled trial (RCT) data. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of exercise in older adults, addressing limitations of previous works. RCTs of exercise interventions in older people with depression (≥ 60 years) comparing exercise vs. control were eligible. A random-effects meta-analysis calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) (95% confidence interval [95%CI]), meta-regressions, and trim, fill, and fail-safe number analyses were conducted. Results: Eight RCTs were included, representing 138 participants in exercise arms and 129 controls. Exercise had a large and significant effect on depression (SMD = -0.90 [95%CI -0.29 to -1.51]), with a fail-safe number of 71 studies. Significant effects were found for 1) mixed aerobic and anaerobic interventions, 2) at moderate intensity, 3) that were group-based, 4) that utilized mixed supervised and unsupervised formats, and 5) in people without other clinical comorbidities. Conclusion: Adjusting for publication bias increased the beneficial effects of exercise in three subgroup analysis, suggesting that previous meta-analyses have underestimated the benefits of exercise due to publication bias. We advocate that exercise be considered as a routine component of the management of depression in older adults.

The effects of regular physical activity on anxiety symptoms in healthy older adults: a systematic review

Objective: Anxiety symptoms are common in older adults with or without anxiety disorders. Pharmacological options may be limited for these patients. Alternative treatments, such as physical activity (PA), are often indicated, although few trials have evaluated their efficacy. The aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of regular PA on improving anxiety symptoms in older adults without anxiety disorders. Potential neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and oxidative mechanisms, as well as cognitive factors to explain these effects are also discussed. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed to identify randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies, as well as case series including healthy previously sedentary older adults. We searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases for articles published in English, with no set time limits. Results: Eight studies evaluating the effect of PA on anxiety symptoms in healthy older adults were included in this review. In all studies, regular and supervised PA was directly related to decreased anxiety symptoms in older individuals. Conclusion: Regular PA may be effective for improving anxiety symptoms in older adults. More studies are needed to identify the ideal PA modality, frequency, duration, and intensity for optimizing the positive effects of exercise on anxiety in this population.

Impact of physical exercise on quality of life of older adults with depression or Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review / O impacto do exercício físico na qualidade de vida de idosos com depressão ou com doença de Alzheimer: uma revisão sistemática

INTRODUCTION: Physical exercise has been associated with improvement of quality of live (QoL), but its effect among the elderly with depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still unclear. This systematic review evaluated randomized and controlled studies about the effect of physical exercise on QoL of older individuals with a clinical diagnosis of depression and AD. METHODS: We searched PubMed, ISI, SciELO and Scopus from December 2011 to June 2013 using the following keywords: physical exercise, quality of life, elderly, depression, Alzheimer's disease. Only six studies met inclusion criteria: two examined patients with AD and four, patients with depression. RESULTS: The studies used different methods to prescribe exercise and evaluate QoL, but all had high quality methods. Findings of most studies with individuals with depression suggested that exercise training improved QoL, but studies with patients with AD had divergent results. CONCLUSIONS: Although different methods were used, results suggested that physical exercise is an effective non-pharmacological intervention to improve the QoL of elderly individuals with depression and AD. Future studies should investigate the effect of other factors, such as the use of specific scales for the elderly, controlled exercise prescriptions and type of control groups (AU)

INTRODUÇÃO: O exercício físico parece estar relacionado à melhora na qualidade de vida (QdV), mas seus efeitos em populações de indivíduos idosos com depressão ou Doença de Alzheimer (DA) ainda não foram estabelecidos. Esta revisão sistemática avaliou estudos controlados randomizados sobre os efeitos do exercício físico sobre a QdV em idosos com diagnóstico clínico de depressão e DA. MÉTODOS: Foi feita uma busca nas bases de dados PubMed, ISI, SciELO e Scopus de dezembro de 2011 a junho de 2013 usando os seguintes descritores: exercício físico, qualidade de vida, idosos, depressão, doença de Alzheimer. Apenas seis estudos satisfizeram os critérios de inclusão: Dois com pacientes com DA e quatro com pacientes com depressão. RESULTADOS: Os estudos adotaram metodologias diferentes de prescrição de exercícios e avaliação de QdV, mas todos preencheram os requisitos de alta qualidade metodológica. Os resultados da maioria dos estudos com idosos com depressão sugerem que a QdV melhora com o treinamento físico, mas os estudos com pacientes com DA tiveram resultados divergentes. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar de os estudos usarem metodologias diferentes, seus resultados sugerem que os exercícios físicos são uma intervenção não-farmacológica efetiva para melhorar a QdV entre idosos com depressão e DA. Estudos futuros devem investigar os efeitos de outros fatores, tais como o uso de questionários específicos para idosos, a prescrição controlada de exercícios, e o tipo de grupo controle (AU)

Intervenção fisioterapêutica promove melhora na qualidade de vida de indivíduos com pênfigo / Physiotherapy intervention promotes better quality of life for individuals with pemphigus

INTRODUÇÃO: O pênfigo é uma doença autoimune, caracterizada por vésico-bolhas cuja manifestações clínicas crônicas geram alterações na qualidade de vida. Existem relatos de pênfigo em vários continentes; porém ocorre predominantemente na região centro-norte da América do Sul. No Brasil, a doença predomina nos estados do Centro-Oeste e Sudeste. Objetivou-se avaliar o perfil e a qualidade de vida de pacientes com pênfigo em uma cidade brasileira, para intervenção fisioterapêutica. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados 15 prontuários de pacientes institucionalizados; contudo, 7 voluntários passaram por entrevista inicial e final por meio do questionário de qualidade de vida SF-36. Entremeio a coleta de dados, foram aplicados exercícios fisioterapêuticos durante o período de 4 meses. Após o período pré-determinado os dados foram comparados e analisados de forma quantitativa por meio do Med Calc E e teste T the student. RESULTADOS: Os 15 pacientes em tratamento tinham idade média de 40 anos; 53,3 por cento eram melanoderma; o gênero masculino correspondia a 80 por cento; 60 por cento apresentam contato com zona rural e 80 por cento são de origem da região sudeste. Os 7 pacientes que participaram da intervenção tenderam melhorar os domínios avaliados pelo SF-36 com exceção da vitalidade e aspectos sociais. CONCLUSÕES: O perfil da população deste hospital tem correlação com a literatura pesquisada. De acordo com o SF-36, houve melhora geral da qualidade de vida dos pacientes que aderiram às atividades propostas. Essa pesquisa sugere que a intervenção fisioterapêutica promove diferentes benefícios para os pacientes com pênfigo.

INTRODUCTION: Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease characterized by bullae, in which its chronicity and clinical manifestations generate alterations in the quality of life. In Brazil, the disease prevails in the states of the Midwest and Southeast. The study aimed to evaluate the profile and quality of life of patients with pemphigus in a Brazilian city, for the purposes of physiotherapeutic intervention. METHODS: The medical records of 15 institutionalized patients were analyzed, though only 7 volunteers underwent the initial and final interviews using the quality of life questionnaire SF-36. Between data collections, physical therapy exercises were applied over a four-month period. After this predetermined period the data were compared and analyzed quantitatively using the Med Calc E and the Student t test. RESULTS: The 15 patients in treatment had a mean age of 40 years-old; 53.3 percent were melanoderm; 80 percent were men; 60 percent had contact with rural areas and 80 percent were from the southern region. The 7 patients who participated in the intervention showed a tendency for improvement in the areas assessed by the SF-36, except for vitality and social aspects. CONCLUSIONS: The profile of the population of this hospital is in agreement with the literature. According to the SF-36 collected before and after the physical therapy intervention, general improvement in the quality of life of these patients was verified. This research suggests that physiotherapeutic intervention promotes diverse benefits for patients with pemphigus.