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N/A N=22 Randomized Single-blind Treatment

Peer Support for Exercise in Older Veterans With Psychotic Disorders

Psychotic Disorder

Enrolled (actual)
22
Serious AEs
4.6%
Results posted
Sep 2023
Primary outcome: Primary: Intervention Engagement — 8 Participants

Study Design & Population

Study type
Interventional
Phase
N/A
Interventions
Peer Education on Exercise for Recovery (Behavioral); Enhanced supervised fitness training (Behavioral)
Age
Adult, Older Adult · 50+ yrs
Sex
All
Sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development
Primary completion
Nov 2021

Outcome Measures

OutcomeResultp-value
PRIMARY
Intervention Engagement
8
PRIMARY
Intervention Fidelity
11
PRIMARY
Attendance
11.8; 9.5 0.544

Summary

Older adults with psychotic disorders experience a dual set of challenges: those related to serious mental illness, and those related to aging. They have medical, cognitive, psychological and social difficulties; as a result they have an almost four times greater likelihood of early institutionalization in nursing homes. These challenges make it difficult for this group to engage in health behaviors, such as exercise. This is unfortunate, since participation in health-promoting activities is essential for maintaining functional independence with age. This study aims to develop and pilot test a peer coaching intervention for older Veterans with psychotic disorders, in which VA Peer Specialists, who are Veterans in recovery from mental illness, will provide intensive coaching to older Veterans with psychotic disorders to promote their participation in exercise and physical activity. Results from this study will inform us as to whether this intervention is acceptable to Veterans, feasible to implement, and effective in increasing exercise, physical activity, and physical fitness/function.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Current diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, meeting criteria established by the VA Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and Evaluation Center (SMITREC): schizophrenic disorders (295.0-295.9), affective psychoses (296.0-296.1, 296.4-296.8), or major depression with psychotic features (296.24, 296.34)
  • age 50 or older
  • participation in mental health services at the VA Maryland Healthcare System
  • sufficient clinical stability to participate as deemed by a mental health treatment provider and/or chart review
  • sufficient medical stability as deemed by a medical provider

Exclusion Criteria

  • Current participation in a supervised exercise program
  • medical conditions which would preclude exercise participation including:
  • unstable angina
  • proliferative diabetic retinopathy
  • oxygen dependence
  • frank incontinence
  • open wounds
  • poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes (HbA1c > 9%)
  • current treatment for active cancer
  • New York Heart Association Stage II-IV heart failure
  • dialysis for chronic kidney disease
  • myocardial infarction in the previous three months
  • problematic substance abuse/dependence
  • imminent risk of suicidal or homicidal behavior
  • lack of capacity to consent
View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02958007). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.

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