Extrait

Background and study aims We are interested in helping people who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. It is important to help these people, as in many cases appropriate treatment means they can recover and get back to work. At the moment, the main treatments for psychosis are medications and talking therapies. For some people these treatments can help, but they have drawbacks. For instance, medications are not ideal as they have bad side-effects and do not really treat some of the problems with thinking and motivation that people with psychosis have. They are also not very good for the body; having side-effects such as weight gain and diabetes. Talking therapies can be useful but often they do not improve quality of life and distress. Talking therapies can also be costly, and not everybody wants to talk about their problems. It is known that exercise has beneficial effects on the body as it also boosts mood and wellbeing. However, we still do not know if exercise could help people with a first episode of psychosis. The aim of the study is therefore to see if exercise would be feasible and help people with psychosis. Who can participate? We would be looking for people who are currently receiving help from an NHS Early Intervention Service, experiencing certain psychological difficulties and aged 18-35. We cannot include people who are aged below 18 or above 35, pregnant, experiencing a physical health condition which makes exercise a problem or do not have speak English. What does the study involve? The study involves participants initially taking some psychological tests which will assess symptoms and their thinking abilities. We will also assess their mood and quality of life. Participants will have their brain scanned and also have tests of muscle strength and cardio fitness. Some blood will also be taken. After this, participants will have a personalised exercise plan developed for them in conjunction with the study team. Participants will then engage in the exercise plan for 10 weeks. At the end, we will measure the same things we did at the beginning. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? If people feel pressurised into undertaking new activities they can sometimes find that certain psychological difficulties get worse or come back. However, the aim of this study is to help people explore new physical activities they want to do while taking care to minimise the risk of any psychological difficulties. Participants can talk to their Care Co-ordinator, GP, or psychiatrist about participation in this study, and any concerns they may have. There is potential risk of injury during physical exercise. This will be minimised with the correct use of warming up and cooling down techniques. Where is the study run from? Greater Manchester area (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? November 2013 to November 2014 Who is funding the study? The project is being funded by Greater Manchester West NHS Mental Health Trust (UK) Who is the main contact? Professor Alison Yung [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Psychosis, Schizophrenia

Liens

• ictrp
• isrctn