Braining - Physical Exercise in Psychiatry - Evaluation of Feasibility, Implementation and Health Among Staff

"Braining" is a clinical invention that helps patients in psychiatry to start and execute physical exercise (PE) regularly in psychiatric care. The core components are basic high performance group training session and motivational work led by the psychiatric staff. Braining is used as add-on treatment to regular psychiatric care and is included in the patient care plan. Braining is unique in that it:

• Includes trained psychiatric clinical staff exercising together with patients from both out- and inpatient ward units in daily, high endurance group training sessions
• is included in regular healthcare fee, (free of charge)
• includes a motivational and educational visit (as a group seminar or as an individual visit) at the start and end of a twelve week training period
• includes regular measurements (self-assessment questionnaires, blood samples, physical and mental health examination and education before and after the twelve week training period)
• offers short individual motivating visits before every training session, including assessment of day shape and fitness to participate.

In the present study focus is on the feasibility of the intervention, how Braining is perceived and implemented, and effects on health and physical activity among staff. The research questions are:

• How do staff experience Braining regarding acceptability, applicability and suitability?
• Is there a correlation between the staff's work with Braining and occupational health, measured as performed PE, perceived stress, and general health?
• Is there a correlation between the staff's work with Braining and occupational health, measured as exhaustion, sleep, sick leave, and job engagement?
• Is there a significant interaction effect between change over time in occupational health, measured with PSS-10 and GHQ, and participation in Braining sessions according to "Ratings of Braining sessions"?
• Is there a significant interaction effect between change over time on physical activity measured with Actigraph and IPAQ and participation in Braining sessions according to "Ratings of Braining sessions"?
• Is there an interaction effect between physical activity measured with Actigraph and IPAQ and occupational health measured with PSS-10 and GHQ?
• Does Braining have a specific effect for staff who during baseline rate over cut-off on GHQ and PSS-10 respectively?
• How compliant are staff to the Braining method in the sense of number completed training sessions, quality of completed sessions, compliance with the core components of the method?
• To what extent is Braining integrated into ordinary work at the unit in short (6 months) and long term (1 and 2 years)?

Braining is to be implemented at 4 psychiatric care units the upcoming years starting nov 2021. Approximately 20 personnel on each unit will be included. Planned design is a longitudinal pre-post study with four measurements during ongoing intervention (weeks 1, 4, 8 and 12) and two follow-ups (6 months and 12 months post inclusion). Improved design with three baseline observation (data points) and possible interrupted time series design, (ITSD). Relationships between the staff's work with Braining and their own occupational health are examined self-estimates, see list. Physical activity level is measured with activity tracker before training and measured throughout the 6 months and at follow-up after 12 months.

Experience of the implementation process is evaluated with S-NoMAD, which is administered at two occasions during the intervention, after completion and at follow-up after 2 years. Staff experience of working with Braining is examined with self-assessments and in focus group interviews after the end of the intervention. Staff compliance with Braining is evaluated based on a checklist where data is collected through weekly follow-ups of the work on the unit as well as observation of completed training sessions.

Data analysis Qualitative analysis: Recorded material from focus group interviews is transcribed and analyzed based on the thematic analysis method according to Braun & Clarke et al 2006). The method aims to understand the individual's perspective in relation to a particular phenomenon and is often used as an inductive hypothesis-generating approach.

Continuous data will be analyzed using mixed effects models or t-test, nominal data analyzed mainly with chi2 test. In mixed effects models of differences between groups the interaction effect of group and time will be the central estimate.

Inclusion criteria

• Works at one of the relevant units regardless of occupational category, including administrative services.
• Permanent employment or fixed-term employment for at least one more year after the start of studies.

Exclusion criteria

• Medical conditions such as heart or lung disease, infection, abstinence where heart rate-increasing physical activity is considered contraindicated due to Medical reasons.
• Full-time sick leave> 1 month during the training period