Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions on Acute Inpatient Mental Health Units on Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Physical activity has been shown to improve outcomes across a range of physical and mental health conditions as an adjunct or standalone intervention for many mental disorders. The outcome and effectiveness of physical activity in acute mental health units are less well understood. Systematic searches were completed in three databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO). Eligible studies were published between March 2013 and February 2024, included a physical activity intervention for inpatients on acute mental health units, and reported primary quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods data for patients between 18 and 65 years of age. Participants must have had a primary diagnosis of a mental health condition with or without physical comorbidities. Data extracted included reported components of the interventions and individual health outcomes. Methodological quality and risk of bias was assessed using the mixed methods appraisal tool and cochrane risk of bias tools for randomised and non‐randomised controlled trials. Twelve studies were identified for review (combined sample size of 560). Seven studies reported improvements in mental health outcomes, and two reported improvements in physical health outcomes in favour of the intervention group. There was a large variation between intervention characteristics and clarity in reporting. Assessment and measurement of outcomes contributed to a high risk of bias among included studies due largely to self‐assessment. Physical activity interventions on AMHUs have the potential to contribute to improvements in mental and physical wellbeing beyond that experienced from usual treatment practices (e.g., medication). However, further work is needed in the specific context of acute mental health units regarding the development and evaluation of physical activity interventions.