Capstone Project
Running head: SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Schizophrenia and Physical Activity
Grand Canyon University
NRS-441V-230 Professional Capstone Project
January 9, 2014
Research shows that implementing physical activity into a lifestyle is a vital part of being healthy and encouraged for the general population. The importance of physical activity is a knowledge deficit for the person living with schizophrenia as the education and support needed from the treating psychiatrist and nurse is not consistently provided. An emphasis is placed on medication adherence, treatment compliance and reduction in hospital admissions. Research also shows that a person living with schizophrenia has a higher mortality and morbidity rate. This population often has chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease which often is the cause for premature death. Therefore prescriptive physical activity prescribed by the psychiatrist with support from the assigned nurse to provide much needed education and program structured to support this change in lifestyle is a much needed service provided in the current psychiatric outpatient clinic setting. Physical activity for patients should be seen as integrative care and part of the common practice for mental health nursing. (Happell, Platania-Phung, and Scott 2011).
Keywords: schizophrenia, physical activity, serious mental illness
Capstone Project
A problem frequently found in the outpatient mental health clinic, inpatient facilities and within the community is the lack of importance placed on physical activity being part of the schizophrenic patient’s life. There needs to be a shift to encourage the mental health nurse, the treating psychiatrist and the clinical team to take the time to educate the patients diagnosed with schizophrenia on the importance of incorporating physical activity into their daily routines. The benefits of becoming physically active should be described in detail to
Schizophrenia and Physical Activity
Grand Canyon University
NRS-441V-230 Professional Capstone Project
January 9, 2014
Research shows that implementing physical activity into a lifestyle is a vital part of being healthy and encouraged for the general population. The importance of physical activity is a knowledge deficit for the person living with schizophrenia as the education and support needed from the treating psychiatrist and nurse is not consistently provided. An emphasis is placed on medication adherence, treatment compliance and reduction in hospital admissions. Research also shows that a person living with schizophrenia has a higher mortality and morbidity rate. This population often has chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease which often is the cause for premature death. Therefore prescriptive physical activity prescribed by the psychiatrist with support from the assigned nurse to provide much needed education and program structured to support this change in lifestyle is a much needed service provided in the current psychiatric outpatient clinic setting. Physical activity for patients should be seen as integrative care and part of the common practice for mental health nursing. (Happell, Platania-Phung, and Scott 2011).
Keywords: schizophrenia, physical activity, serious mental illness
Capstone Project
A problem frequently found in the outpatient mental health clinic, inpatient facilities and within the community is the lack of importance placed on physical activity being part of the schizophrenic patient’s life. There needs to be a shift to encourage the mental health nurse, the treating psychiatrist and the clinical team to take the time to educate the patients diagnosed with schizophrenia on the importance of incorporating physical activity into their daily routines. The benefits of becoming physically active should be described in detail to
References: Phelan, M (2001). Physical health of people with severe mental illness. British Medical Journal, 332, 443-444. Wand, T. & Murray, L. (2008). Let’s get physical. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 17, 363-369. World Health Organization (2007). A Guide for Population-Based Approaches to Increasing Levels of Physical Activity: Implementation of the WHO Global Strategy of Diet, Physical Activity and Health Assessment of level and intensity of physical activity. (2006). doi : http://depts.washington.edu/hprc/docs/rapa_03_06.pdf Physical Activity Evaluation Handbook. (2002). Atlanta, GA; US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Appendix 3, pg. 43. Johnstone, R., Nicol, K., Donaghy,M. and Lawrie, S. (2009). Barriers to uptake physical activity in community based patients with schizophrenia Faulkner,G., Taylor, A., Munro, S., Selby, P. and Gee, C. (2007). The acceptability of physical activity programming within smoking cessation service for individuals with severe mental illness McDevitt, J., Snyder, M., Miller, A. and Wilbur, J. (2006). Perceptions of Barriers and Benefits to Physical Activity Among Outpatients in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Ratliff, J., Palmese, L., Reutenauer, E., Liskov, E., Grilo, C. and Tek, C. (2012). The effect of dietary and physical activity pattern on metabolic profile in individuals with schizophrenia: a cross sectional study Pack S (2009) Poor physical health and mortality in patients with schizophrenia. Nursing Standard, 23(21): 41-45. Holley, J., Crone, D., Tyson, P. and Lovell, G. (2011). The effects of physical activity on psychological well-being for those with schizophrenia: A systemic review Bradshaw, T., Lovell, K. and Campbell, M. (2010). The development and evaluation of a complex health education intervention for adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia Janny, C., Ganguli, R., Richardson, C., Holleman, C., Tang, G., Cauley, J. and Kriska, A. (2013). Sedentary behavior and psychiatric symptoms in overweight and obese adults with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders