Certificate in Activity and Exercise for Adults with Mental Health Conditions

Aims: To develop the exercise professional’s understanding of mental health conditions and the benefits of activity and positive lifestyle behaviours.

Outcome: You will be able to plan, deliver, and evaluate activity sessions in the community and/or clinical settings with clients with a range of mental health conditions.

Qualification Structure:

1. Intro and underpinning knowledge – overview of course, background information and professional practice
2. Anxiety and stress
3. Depression and bipolar (inc. SAD and depression in older adults)
4. Schizophrenia
5. MH and women: pre and post-natal, menstrual disorders, menopause
6. MH in physical conditions (inc. disability, cancer, LTCs and obesity)
7. Overview of other MH conditions (feeding and eating disorders, OCD and related disorders, and substance misuse and addictive disorders) and boundaries for working with these conditions
8. Pre-exercise considerations:  screening/assessment, health and safety, risk stratification, medication, comorbidity, referral pathways and inclusion/exclusion criteria
9. Health behaviour:  Health behaviours, behaviour change and lifestyle factors
10. Practical application: planning and delivery, managing emergencies, evaluation, recording and reporting protocols

Core conditions:  4 worksheets

MH and female lifespan: worksheet

MH and LTCs: theoretical case study

Summative assessment:  case study, underpinning knowledge questions, professional discussion