Exercise is medicine for mental health in military veterans: A qualitative commentary

Caddick, Nick and Smith, Brett (2018) Exercise is medicine for mental health in military veterans: A qualitative commentary. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 10 (4). pp. 429-440. ISSN 2159-6778

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Abstract

Different approaches to treatment for mental health problems in military veterans continue to attract research attention. In addition to the NICE-approved treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing, a number of novel and innovative approaches have recently been developed. One such approach is encapsulated under the emerging paradigm of ‘exercise as/is medicine’. Following recent calls to strengthen the evidence base for new and emerging mental health treatments for veterans, this paper presents a commentary on current evidence in support of ‘exercise as medicine’ derived from qualitative research studies. It is concluded that qualitative research has made a significant contribution to the emerging evidence base for exercise-based interventions. This evidence base can be used to inform current debates about quality assurance in the area of veterans’ mental health-care and to underpin quality provision for service users. Qualitative research also has a significant future contribution to make towards improving the evaluation of novel treatment approaches, generating more impactful research and increasing the applicability of research findings in ‘exercise as/is medicine’. The paper closes with some critical reflections on the role of exercise-based interventions as a means of helping veterans improve their mental health.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Additional Information:	This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in: Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2017.1333033
Keywords:	Exercise, Medicine, Veterans, Mental Health, PTSD, Qualitative Research
Faculty:	ARCHIVED Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education (until September 2018)
Depositing User:	Nick Caddick
Date Deposited:	19 Jun 2017 08:32
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2019 16:10
URI:	https://arro.anglia.ac.uk/id/eprint/701809

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