Access to opportunities for joyful movement and healthy exercise should be available for everyone. With the help of WPP, this project hopes to integrate movement as treatment in a population where we know this is not typically offered even though research supports it.
This project encourages connection by supporting group activities, self-efficacy via an individualized approach to goal setting and ultimately stands to change how we view the connection between mental and physical health in our communities.
At a Glance
The project, Adapting and Feasibility Testing an Integrated Exercise Program as Part of First Episode Psychosis Coordinated Specialty Care, led by Shiri Raphaely, MD, adapts and pilots an integrated exercise and lifestyle program to improve physical and mental health outcomes for young people experiencing first episode psychosis. The initiative aims to address the significant cardiometabolic risks faced by individuals with serious mental illness. The project will develop an appropriate 12-week program focused on physical activity, metabolic monitoring and wellness skills to prevent chronic disease and enhance overall well-being. Collaborators include Emilie Pinkovitz, LCSW, Wings Program Director, and Jacob Meyer, PhD, assistant professor, UW–Madison School of Education
The Challenge
Young people experiencing serious mental illness face substantial disparities in both physical and mental health. Individuals with serious mental illness experience a 15–20-year reduction in life expectancy, with two-thirds of premature deaths attributed to preventable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This mortality gap is related to treatment side effects, modifiable risk factors and challenges within the healthcare system. At the same time, pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia remain inadequate, with only a minority of patients achieving remission.
Although exercise and lifestyle interventions can improve cardiometabolic health and mental health symptoms, these approaches are not routinely integrated into First Episode Psychosis Coordinated Specialty Care programs in the United States. This creates a critical gap in integrated physical and mental health care for young people experiencing first episode psychosis and a need for a sustainable, evidence-based model that incorporates metabolic monitoring and exercise programming into routine mental health care.
Project Goals
To address this gap, the project will adapt the Australian “Keeping the Body in Mind” (KBIM) lifestyle intervention for use within Wings, a Wisconsin-based First Episode Psychosis Coordinated Specialty Care program. Through the KBIM-Dane Study, the project aims to create a sustainable, evidence-based model that integrates metabolic monitoring and exercise programming into routine mental health care for young people experiencing first episode psychosis. The specific project aims are to:
- Adapt the KBIM intervention through a co-design process to create KBIM-Dane.
- Assess feasibility of incorporating KBIM-Dane into Wings CSC by measuring engagement rates and program completion among participants.
- Evaluate acceptability from both client and staff perspectives using validated measures and qualitative feedback.
- Provide implementation science training to enhance the principal investigator’s expertise in dissemination and implementation research.
Pictured above (left to right): Jacob Meyer, PhD, assistant professor, UW–Madison School of Education; Shiri Raphaely, MD, Department of Psychiatry; Emilie Pinkovitz, LCSW, Wings Program Director
