title: The current state of physical activity and exercise programs in German-speaking, Swiss psychiatric hospitals: results from a brief online survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical activity and exercise programs (PAEPs) are an important factor in increasing and maintaining physical and mental health. This holds particularly true for patients with psychiatric disorders undergoing treatment in a psychiatric hospital. To understand whether the benefits reported in the literature are mirrored in current treatment modalities, the aim of the present study was to assess the current state of PAEPs in psychiatric hospitals in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  All psychiatric hospitals (N=55) in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were contacted in spring 2014. Staff responsible for PAEPs were asked to complete an online questionnaire covering questions related to PAEPs such as type, frequency, staff training, treatment rationale, importance of PAEPs within the treatment strategy, and possible avenues to increase PAEPs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Staff members of 48 different psychiatric hospitals completed the survey. Hospitals provided the following therapeutic treatments: relaxation techniques (100%), sports therapy (97%), activity-related psychotherapeutic interventions (95%), physiotherapy (85%), body therapies (59%), far-east techniques (57%), and hippotherapy (22%). Frequencies ranged from once/week to five times/week. Approximately 25% of patients participated in the PAEPs. Interventions were offered irrespective of psychiatric disorders. PAEP providers wanted and needed more vocational training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All participating psychiatric hospitals offer a broad variety of PAEPs in their treatment curricula. However, the majority of inpatients do not participate in PAEPs. Furthermore, those who do participate cannot continue to do so following discharge. PAEP providers need specific extended vocational trainings and believe that the potential of PA should be improved.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colledge
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beeler
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pühse
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalak
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sadeghi Bahmani
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mikoteit
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holsboer-Trachsler
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerber
keywords: German-speaking part of Switzerland; physical activity; psychiatric disorders; psychiatric hospitals; sport participation