NCT06078293

Home-based Exercise for SMI

A Feasibility Study of Home-based Exercise for Older Veterans With Serious Mental Illness

• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 0 (actual)
• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Older Veterans with serious mental illness (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder) have reduced physical function (endurance, strength, mobility) that leads to lower quality of life. Exercise interventions are effective at improving physical function and could have a tremendous impact on this population. Despite the established benefits of exercise, there has been little work focused on improving multiple aspects of physical function in older Veterans with serious mental illness. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based exercise program for older Veterans with serious mental illness.

Detailed description

Older Veterans with serious mental illness (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder) have significantly compromised physical function that leads to heightened rates of falls, hospitalizations, nursing home admissions, as well as early mortality. In fact, this population's physical function is compromised across multiple domains including mobility, endurance, and strength. Exercise is effective for increasing all domains of physical function (i.e., mobility, endurance, strength) in older Veterans. But, environmental difficulties (e.g., lack of transportation), low motivation, and medical issues affecting older Veterans with serious mental illness contribute to low engagement rates and high dropout rates in facility-based exercise programs. Individualized home-based exercise programs, which are safe and effective for older Veterans with health challenges, could address the main barriers to exercise in older Veterans with serious mental illness by promoting greater accessibility and individual tailoring. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week home-based exercise program for older Veterans with serious mental illness.

Conditions

• Serious Mental Illness

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Home-based Exercise Program	12-week home-based exercise program that involves individualized exercise prescription and motivational health coaching calls.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-07-02
• Primary completion: 2025-07-02
• Completion: 2025-07-02
• First posted: 2023-10-11
• Last updated: 2025-07-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States