Abstract

Author(s)

Justin Chapman, Jane Kugelman, Greg Pratt, Amanda Wheeler

Introduction

People with mental health issues tend to have poorer health outcomes than the general population. Psychosocial stressors such as loneliness and isolation can contribute to psychological distress, and reduce quality of life. Exercise can improve quality of life and may improve social connection; however, people with mental health issues tend to have low exercise because of a range of barriers, such as low accessibility to appropriate exercise support.

Method

People identifying as having a mental health issue were referred from hospital and health services, non-government organisations, and general practice clinics. The PCYC Healthy Lifestyle programs involved an initial assessment, and weekly group-based exercise and health sessions in North Queensland (Manunda, Edmonton, Mareeba). Sessions were delivered by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) and mental health staff from partnering organisations. Data were collected between October 2020 and June 2023. Assessments included self-reported quality of life and sense of belonging; regression analyses were conducted.

Results & Findings

Over 200 participants entered the program over 2.5 years; more than 537 group sessions were delivered with 2,466 individual attendances. Significant improvements were found for psychological distress, wellbeing, quality of life (‘mental health’ and ‘coping’ dimensions) and sense of belonging. Sense of belonging is strongly correlated with mental health outcomes. Qualitatively, participants reported that the program improved their wellbeing and confidence which subsequently improved sense of community and relationships, and that the AEP was an essential component in facilitating these benefits by providing a safe space for group exercise.

Discussion

Group-based exercise can improve quality of life and sense of belonging for people with mental health issues. Quality of life domains ‘mental health’ and ‘coping’ may be most responsive to group-based exercise, indicating that this approach may be effective as early intervention to improve resilience, prevent worsening of psychological distress, and improve wellbeing.