An examination of physical activity discussions in mental health care

It is well known that physical activity can confer many health benefits, both physically and mentally. However, individuals with serious mental illness are less active than the general population. This is particularly troubling as this population tends to have many physical health co-morbidities such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It is logical that primary care clinicians could be key messengers about physical activity (PA) to this population, as they tend to have longstanding relationships with patients, and thus patients view the practitioners with a great deal of trust and respect. However, little is known about how much clinicians engage in PA discussions with their patients. As such, this proposed project aims to analyze anonymized electronic patient databases at a major mental health trust in the UK, to identify how often and in which contexts clinicians discuss PA with their patients. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Catherine Sabiston

Student:

Partner:

King's College London

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Toronto

Program: