People with first episode psychosis (FEP) are prone to significant weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in the early stages of treatment putting them at significant risk of developing physical co-morbidities, including type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. These co-morbidities reduce quality of life and life expectancy within this population.
Despite known benefits of regular exercise including anxiolytic and anti-depressive effects, very low treatment adherence within FEP programs limits the effectiveness of exercise as a potential intervention. Determining the characteristics of FEP patients who frequently participate in a facilitated exercise program may assist in the development of strategies aimed at improving adherence. To determine the characteristics of frequent users of a facilitated exercise program.
Data was obtained from patients who were of frequent (>=20 sessions) and infrequent (<20 sessions) users of the facilitated exercise program from July 2011-February 2013 (n=48, 29% female) at the Bondi Early Psychosis Program, Sydney. Demographic and anthropometric data including body mass index and waist circumference, symptom severity, and duration of untreated psychosis, medication usage and overall contact with the treatment facility were compared between the two groups of FEP patients.
Preliminary analyses revealed that 40% of gym users were obese or overweight at the time of initial gym attendance. Higher BMI and increased clinical contact with the multidisciplinary team were significantly associated with greater gym attendance. The use of exercise physiology services in patients with FEP was linked to engagement with the service as a whole, and those with significant weight gain were more likely to make greater use of the gym. Implications for improving gym usage in FEP patients will be discussed.
