Increasing Physical Activity in Psychological Treatment (IPAcT)
We were commissioned by Sport England to evaluate the impact of physical activity on depression and anxiety disorder treatment outcomes in NHS Talking Therapies services.
Research has found that physical activity interventions combined with psychological therapies may be effective at improving outcomes for common mental health problems, and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend physical activity for the treatment of depression.
However, uptake of physical activity in people with depression is poor and some experience barriers to engaging with it.
The pilot study
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust both carried out a pilot study, to test the effectiveness of interventions that integrated physical activity into psychological treatment in their NHS Talking Therapies services. The NCCMH evaluated the pilot study, which was funded by Sport England.
What our evaluation assessed
The evaluation aimed to find out whether physical activity within psychological treatments improved mental health outcomes for people with depression or anxiety disorders, including those with long-term physical health conditions. The evaluation also assessed:
- the experience of staff and service users while engaging with the physical activity interventions
- different delivery models of physical activity and their association with different levels of (a) feasibility and acceptability and (b) engagement in physical activity.
Our key findings were that the interventions had a positive impact on people's symptoms. After the sessions ended, most people said they had become more physically active, and staff found it feasible to add physical activity to treatment sessions.
Download the documents
Click on the links below to view and download the evaluation report and associated documents. All of the documents can also be found on the Sport England webpage.