Mental health treatment combining physical exercise and talking therapy devised in Buckinghamshire is to be trialled nationwide by the NHS and Sport England.

People being treated for anxiety and depression by NHS Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies were invited to trial the new approach incorporating physical activity alongside talking therapy.

They found that by taking part in physical exercise, tailored to their own interests, physical capabilities and lifestyle, they were able to ease their symptoms of depression and anxiety.

NHS Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies collaborated with Sport England, social enterprise Leap, and NHS Camden & Islington Talking Therapies during the two-year trial.

Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies, which is part of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, was formerly known as Healthy Minds. Leap works to improve people’s lives through physical activity and sport.

Interventions offered

Four distinct interventions were developed and offered to patients alongside evidence-based psychological treatments:

• The “Move More; Feel Better” app – which patients could download and use to guide them through practical steps of increasing their physical activity.
• A three-session psychoeducational workshop aimed at helping people with long-term conditions move more called “Moving Forward with a Long-Term Condition”.
• A 10-session cognitive behavioural therapy group for depression, which included a protected 30-minute space for physical activity called “Move Your Mood”.
• A weekly walk with an alpaca in the Buckinghamshire countryside for six weeks with local charity, Animal Antiks.

Findings

The trial results revealed:

• When people included physical activity as part of their psychological therapy with NHS Buckinghamshire Talking Therapy, it had a positive impact on their symptoms, helping to ease their feelings of depression and anxiety.
• After taking part in physical activity as part of their talking therapy, most people said they had become more physically active.
• People were best able to incorporate physical activity into their treatment when they made it part of their routine and adapted to their health conditions and needs. Outdoor activity was particularly valued.
• NHS Buckinghamshire Talking Therapy professionals who took part in the physical activity interventions said they could see the positive impact on service-users and would continue to include physical activity a part of patient care.

Deputy Clinical Lead for NHS Talking Therapies Buckinghamshire, Josef Landsburg, said:

“Our physical and mental health are so closely intertwined and there is a strong correlation between levels of physical activity and improved mental health. When people are able to increase their physical activity during their treatment for common mental health problems, it not only brings about symptom relief but also has numerous other health benefits, thus creating a virtuous cycle. We found this was also true for people living with a long-term physical health condition, when activity was tailored around their physical health.”

A toolkit for all NHS Talking Therapies services has now been developed and published alongside the full report on the Sport England website.