SU106. Investigating the Short- and Long-Term Benefits of Exercise in Early Psychosis

Abstract

Background: Exercise has previously been shown to reduce symptoms of schizophrenia in long-term patients, along with improving their physical health and cognitive functioning. However, the effects of exercise in first-episode psychosis (FEP) have not been widely investigated. Methods: Twenty-eight people with FEP participated in 10 weeks of supervised exercise twice weekly, using activities tailored to their own choice. Participant engagement was measured, and various aspects of physical health, mental health, and cognitive functioning were assessed. Participants were assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, and then 6 months after the supervised intervention, and compared to a group of patients with FEP who did not receive an exercise intervention. Results: Over the 10-week intervention, participants achieved 107 minutes (mean average) of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week. Furthermore, at 10 weeks (ie, immediately postintervention), there were improvements in total symptoms, negative symptoms, waist circumference, verbal memory, social cognition, and social functioning (all P < .05). After 6 months, 55% of participants had continued to exercise. Psychiatric assessments at the 6-month follow-up showed that positive and negative symptoms were still significantly lower than preintervention scores. However, post hoc analyses revealed that only those who had maintained regular exercise over the 6 months had continued to show significantly reduced symptoms, whereas those who had ceased exercising had regressed to baseline scores. Previously observed benefits of exercise for social functioning were also maintained at the follow-up, although improvements in waist circumference and cognition were lost. Conclusion: Future research should aim to establish sustainable methods for maintaining regular exercise and explore the effectiveness of “step-down” support following supervised interventions in order to improve physical health outcomes and facilitate psychosocial recovery in FEP.