Developing a Community-Based Tailored Exercise Program for People with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness

Background: People with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) are at a greater risk of medical issues compared to the general population. Exercise has a proven to have a positive effect on the physical and mental health outcomes among this population in community settings, and is understudied among this population.

Objectives: To describe Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods used to tailor an exercise program among people with SPMI, demonstrate its impact, and present lessons learned for future research related to the strengths and challenges in conducting CBPR.

Methods:  The partnership developed a mixed methods intervention to explore the feasibility of implementing an exercise program at a community agency among clients with SPMI. The intervention was tailored to fit the perceived exercise benefits, barriers and preferences of people served by the agency using qualitative focus group discussions.

Results/Lessons Learned: Data showed improved trends in mood, social support, and physical and mental health outcomes. The intervention was a gender specific, group based exercise intervention developed via intensive collaboration with a community agency serving people with SPMI. The case studies and post-program survey suggest that people with SPMI can benefit from a tailored exercise program. Success, challenges, and lessons learned in conducting CBPR to address the intersection of exercise and mental illness were identified as a result of this project. 

Conclusion: Using CBPR in this setting, while challenging given complex dynamics among people with SPMI and within the community, is critical to the successful design and implementation of effective community-based programs.