The barriers to participation in leisure time physical activities among Iranian women with severe mental illness: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background and objectivesSedentary behavior and physical inactivity are known risk factors for poor health and increased mortality in patients with severe mental illness. Identifying the barriers to participation in leisure-time physical activities among these patients can be helpful in planning effective interventions aimed at increasing activity level. Prior to the present study, the barriers experienced by female patients in Iran were unknown. Materials and methodsThis was a qualitative study using conventional content analysis. Participants were 32 women with severe mental illness who were hospitalized at women's psychiatric wards of Farabi Teaching Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran, from September 2015 to March 2016. Data were collected through four focus group discussion sessions and were then analyzed. ResultsParticipants had a mean age of 42 (SD = 7.8) and an active diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder (n = 10), schizophrenia (n = 8), a chronic bipolar disorder (n = 8), or major depression disorder (n = 6). Two main barrier categories emerged: Personal experience of disease and Non-supportive context. Within the former, stigma of disease, signs and symptoms of disease, and medication side effects were the constituent subcategories. Non-supportive context subcategories consisted of family, cultural, environmental, and medical staff barriers that influenced non-participation in leisure-time physical activities. ConclusionIranian women with severe mental illness face a number of barriers to participation in leisure-time physical activities including the stigma, symptoms, and treatment of mental illness; and contextual barriers such as family expectations, societal perceptions, environmental factors, and lack of medical staff support. It is recommended that providers consider these factors when developing therapeutic plans for similar patient populations.