“Triggered by the sound of other runners”: An exploration of parkrun mentions in mental health hospital records in the UK

Abstract

Community-based physical activity is beneficial for individuals with mental illness. In the past decade, free, 5-km community-based runs organized by the parkrun organization have grown in popularity. With the increasing use of physical activity as a multimodal treatment of mental illness, parkrun participation may have clinical implications. Engagement in parkrun by individuals with mental illness is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine discussions of parkrun in electronic mental health records to understand the parkrun experiences of those living with mental illness. A qualitative observational study of electronic health records of parkrun mentions in a secondary mental health service in London, England was conducted. Anonymized records of over 500,000 patients, including inpatients and outpatients, were searched and retrieved to identify mentions of parkrun. Thematic analysis was used to organize the findings into key themes. The sample included 175 individuals with mental illness (55% female, mean age 33 years), and 333 mentions of the parkrun running program. The findings from the thematic analysis were organized into 4 themes: i) More than Just a Run; ii) Clinicians as Gatekeepers; iii) The Role of parkrun in Recovery; iv) When parkrun Isn't Always for Everyone. These findings can be used to make parkrun a more welcoming and inclusive place for those experiencing mental illness, for example by providing mental health training to event organisers and volunteers. Furthermore, the findings may also inform current policy discussions on the importance of social recovery for service-users.