Examining the barriers to physical activity between active and inactive people with severe mental illness in Ireland

Purpose: People with severe mental illness (SMI) can benefit from meeting the recommended guidelines on physical activity; yet meeting these guidelines for this population is challenging in practice. We examined the difference between outpatients with SMI that meet and do not meet physical activity guidelines in relation to barriers to physical activity in domain areas that are theoretically-informed from determinant areas of physical activity behaviour change. We aimed to identify clinical and demographic variables of less active people with SMI and domains where less active people with SMI have heightened barriers to physical activity. Methods: A self-report survey comprised of clinical and demographic variables, a brief 3-item measure of physical activity (3Q), and the Determinants of Physical Activity Questionnaire (DPAQ) was administered to a sample of outpatients with SMI (N = 105) in Ireland. Results: The findings show 72% of the sample did not meet recommended physical activity guidelines. No differences between active and less active participants were found in relation to demographic and clinical variables measured. Participants that did not meet physical activity guidelines reported stronger barriers in the areas ‘Beliefs in the consequences of physical activity’ and ‘Motivation and goals to physical activity’ (P ≤ 0.001). Discussion: This is the first study to use the DPAQ tool to examine the differences between active and inactive people with SMI in relation to physical activity barriers, with clear implications for tailoring intervention specifically for less active people with SMI.