A report investigating how physical activity can be better used within NHS Talking Therapies to help improve mental health outcomes for service users was published today.
Led by Transformation Partners in Health and Care, along with us and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, the new report is the result of interviews with nearly 400 people – including NHS Talking Therapies staff, community physical activity providers, commissioners and service users .
We know there is overwhelming evidence that physical activity can reduce the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as help manage symptoms.
And the report found there was a widespread desire to do more to increase physical activity levels through talking therapy services, but the majority of those interviewed said they did not think enough was currently being done – due to barriers such as lack of knowledge or time.
The head of our national health and inactivity partnerships, Susie Gitus, welcomed the report and hoped it would improve services in the future.
“This report clearly shows that there is an appetite from all involved for better use of physical activity as part of NHS Talking Therapies as a way of improving the mental health of people living with anxiety and depression,” she said.
“There is already clear evidence to show that physical activity can help, but the report highlights some of the barriers that currently prevent it from being routinely used in treatment.”
“Sport England, together with our partners, plans to reduce these barriers and promote the implementation of the report’s recommendations so that more people living with mental illness can enjoy the benefits of an active life.”
The report contains a series of recommendations to help improve the use of physical activity, from providing more knowledge to staff and strengthening collaboration between services to developing guidelines and communities of practice.