Remote Exercise and Lifestyle (REAL) Intervention for Early Psychosis
Participant type
Overview
This study is no longer looking for new participants but is still ongoing.
People with mental health conditions have higher risks of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases compared to the general population. Individuals can reduce their risk adopting healthier lifestyles, for instance increase their physical activity. Digital technologies (such as Zoom) can be used to deliver remote exercise intervention. However, there is currently little understanding of how this might work best in mental healthcare.
Summary
What is the study about?
People with mental health conditions have higher risks of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases compared to the general population. Individuals can reduce their risk by adopting healthier lifestyles, for instance increase their physical activity.
Digital technologies (such as Zoom) can be used to deliver remote exercise intervention. However, there is currently little understanding of how this might work best in mental healthcare.
What are you trying to find out?
The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of using Zoom to deliver online group home workout classes to 32 young adults receiving treatment from Early Intervention Service.
What does taking part involve?
This study is no longer looking for new participants but is still ongoing.
You are being invited to take part in a research study to investigate the feasibility of a group exercise intervention for the Early Intervention Service, delivered as twice-weekly online homework to groups of 6-8 service users.
Overall, you will be in the study for up to 5 months, although you are allowed to leave the study at any point during this time.
If you choose to take part, you will receive a FitBit for the duration of the research. For each questionnaire you complete, you will receive a voucher worth £20. If you choose to take part in the interview section of the study, you will also receive a voucher worth £20 for each interview. This means participants can receive up to 6 x £20 vouchers in total.
Ideally, joining the study and all assessments will also be conducted over the phone or Zoom/Teams. Where this is not possible, participants will be invited to attend enrolment at the University of Manchester, or any mental health clinic around Greater Manchester region.
In session 1, you will be asked provide consent and complete a baseline questionnaire (taking around 30 minutes to complete) which will ask about your demographic background, physical activity and health.
The study team will also ask for your address to arrange the delivery of a FitBit wearable to use during the study, along with a smartphone (if required). Participants completing this will be compensated with the first £20 voucher.
Exercise programme:
8 weeks of exercise: as twice-weekly online group workout sessions, hosted on Zoom.
Each exercise session is:
• Conducted online, as a small group of 6 – 8 people
• Joined by members of the research team
• Tailored to people in Early Intervention Services
• ~ 40minutes long, consisting of a 5 min warm up, 20 minutes of exercise, 5 min cool down
• There will be a 10 min discussion session before the workout
Session 2: Complete an 8-week follow-up questionnaire (similar to Session 1 questionnaire), either remotely or in person, depending on your preference. Participants completing this will be compensated with another £20 voucher.
Switch over groups: People assigned to receive the Group Exercise Classes will now complete condition B (FitBit Only), while those who received only the FitBit initially will be invited to join the Group Exercise Classes
Session 3: Complete an 3-month follow-up questionnaire, either remotely or in person depending on your preference. This will be a further questionnaire, similar to session 2. Participants completing this will be compensated with another £20 voucher.
Optional interview: This interview will ask about your experiences of participating in the online exercise session and will last for no more than one hour. This interview will be audio recorded. Consent for this will also be audio recorded.
The interview can take place remotely via Zoom, MS Teams or telephone or face to face at a time and venue to suit you, such as your home or university. Participants completing this will be compensated with another £20 voucher
Who is it for?
This study is no longer looking for new participants but is still ongoing.
Are you aged 18 – 35, a current service user of Early Intervention Services?
If so, we would be delighted to invite you to participate in our study.
Why is it important?
We hope the study will benefit peoples’ health, and help them to increase their physical activity and engage in social exercise and fitness, on a regular basis.
The information we gain from this research may help us improve the physical health in young adults with mental health conditions.
How can I find out more?
This study is no longer looking for new participants but is still ongoing.
However, you have questions for the research team, click the button below to email us:
Meet the researcher
John SainsburyInnovation Manager
My name is John Sainsbury, and I am the Innovation Manager in the Research and Innovation Service at GMMH. I am interested in the use of technology to improve the quality of people's lives. My current area of focus is the use of mobile phone apps, VR or online exercise classes to promote mental or physical health. I work across the Trust with services for children and young people or for people with psychosis.
Collaborators
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