How to Enhance the Physical Activity of People with Severe Mental Illness?

Professor Richard Gray will be delivering a stimulating session around ‘How to Enhance the Physical Activity of People with Severe Mental Illness?'

This School of Healthcare Education & Debate (SHED) series includes an exciting session delivered by Richard Gray, Professor of Clinical Nursing Practice and Director of the Alfred Clinical School at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. He trained in Nursing at King's College in London and in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Richard’s major academic interests are behaviour change, multimorbidity and health services research. He has $15m AUD in grant income, completed 15 clinical trials and published 190 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Richard will be delivering a stimulating session discussing how to enhance the physical activity of people with severe mental illness. Physical health problems commonly co-occur in people with severe mental illness. Lifestyle factors – cigarette smoking, diet, physical activity, substance use, sexual health – are challenging to manage and highly prevalent in this population. Research groups have trialled different interventions – health checks, education – with modest success. There is also evidence, particularly from qualitative studies, that mental health professionals are resistant to adapting the way they work to tackle these co-morbid problems. Perhaps we – patients, families, and professionals – need to innovate and co-create novel interventions and ways of working that can improve the wellbeing of people experiencing severe mental illness.

For event details and to register visit the following Eventbrite page