Integrating Physical Activity Into Routine Psychiatric Care: A Review - PubMed
12 hours ago
- #psychiatric care
- #mental health
- #physical activity
- Adults with severe mental illness (SMI) face a 10- to 20-year reduction in life expectancy due to cardiometabolic diseases.
- Low physical activity (PA) and high sedentary behavior (SB) are modifiable risk factors contributing to this mortality gap.
- Individuals with SMI are among the most physically inactive groups, often spending over 10 hours sedentary daily.
- Structured PA (exercise) shows moderate to large reductions in depressive and psychotic symptoms, improving cognition and cardiometabolic health.
- Mentally passive SB (e.g., prolonged TV viewing) is linked to poorer mental health outcomes.
- PA should be individualized, enjoyable, and include strength training twice weekly for optimal benefits.
- The 5A framework (Ask, Assess, Advise, Assist, Arrange) helps integrate PA into psychiatric care systematically.
- PA is a core component of psychiatric care, improving symptoms and narrowing the life expectancy gap for SMI patients.