Are you interested in how online lifestyle could be used in youth mental health?
We have several projects completed and a few studies coming up that focus on this area.
If you would like to stay up to date on our research around using health apps, wearables, social media, and online interventions to improve outcomes in youth mental health care, and to hear more about how you can be involved, sign up to our newsletter.
If you are not sure, but would like to know more please contact us.
Email: e-phit@manchester.ac.uk
Projects
There are a number of projects and studies under e-PHIT – several completed and an exciting new one is on the way. Check them out to see how you can get involved or learn more.
Current projects
You can find out more about our current projects under each heading.
Online Lifestyle Intervention for Youth Mental Health: A Co-Designed YouTube Channel
Physical activity and nutrition are critical for promoting both physical health and mental wellbeing. While young people with mental health conditions already venture to the online world such advice, most current content is non-specific and unregulated.
So, we are producing new verified YouTube Channel, dedicated towards providing evidence-based fitness content online. From boxercise home workouts, to nutrition tutorials, to yoga instruction, and more – all videos will be co-designed with mental healthcare staff, researchers, service users and content producers to be maximally engaging and enjoyable.
Along with providing young people with credible lifestyle content suiting their individual goals, the ephit YouTube channel also aims to help clinical teams looking to deliver evidence-based lifestyle interventions through mental healthcare services.
The channel is currently under development @ePhitMentalHealth.
For any thoughts, feedback, co-designed content or queries, please contact joseph.firth@manchester.ac.uk.
Past projects
You can find out more about our past projects and studies you may have participated in under each heading.
Clinician views on digital tech for physical health in mental illness
To implement health apps in mental healthcare, we must first understand how clinicians in these services currently perceive such technologies, and how they would like to use them.
We are conducting a mixed-method study to determine clinician views on using digital technologies for physical health promotion in mental health services.
First, an online survey was used to explore mental healthcare professionals’ views. These views will be further explored using interviews.
This study is complete and the information gathered provided insights into current practice, while also informing the development and implementation of digital health revolution to improve physical health monitoring/interventions available in mental healthcare.
Service user views on digital health promotion in youth mental health
Digital technologies could present new opportunities for improving the physical health of young people treated for mental illness.
However, there is currently little understanding of how users of youth mental health services would like this to be achieved.
An online survey was completed by young people treated for mental illness, exploring their opinions around how mobile/digital health could be best used for assessing physical health or improving health behaviours (such as exercise, nutrition, sleep and smoking cessation) in the context of mental healthcare.
This study is complete and the information gathered provided insights into current practice, while also informing the development and implementation of digital health interventions for our project.
If you would like to find out more.
Testing the Smoke Free app in early intervention services
People with mental illness are at much greater risk of tobacco smoking and smoking-related diseases than the general public. While evidence-based apps to help people quit smoking exist, their use in youth mental healthcare yet to be examined.
The study explored the feasibility of the smoking cessation app, through examining participants’ usage of the app along with any associated changes in health behaviours or health status.
Thirty people who use Early Intervention Services helped us test out a new app for quitting smoking.
This study is complete. We are currently preparing the findings and will be sharing the results soon.
Please check back shortly for updates on the dissemination of our research outcomes.
COVID-19 related disparities in people with psychiatric disorders
New evidence suggests that people with some severe mental illnesses are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and are more likely to experience serious negative outcomes as a result.
We are using de-identified electronic health records data from people in the UK to investigate COVID-19 outcomes among people with severe mental illness and compare them with the general population.
Testing Feasibility of a Remote Exercise And Lifestyle (REAL) intervention in early intervention services
The study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting online group fitness sessions to young adults in Early Intervention Services.
Twenty-seven participants were enrolled in the REAL intervention, which provided participants with a Fitbit and invited them to an 8-week, twice-weekly online group exercise program.
This study is now complete. We are currently preparing the findings and will be sharing the results soon.
Please check back shortly for updates on the dissemination of our research outcomes.
We aim to publish findings from our research in various formats, including as research papers, blogs, and multimedia content.
Links to our outputs will be posted here and updated regularly.
To see outputs from our completed projects and studies, please see our list of publications in Research Explorer.
We are currently looking for people to be involved in our Research and Advisory Group.
This group will comment and advise on e-PHIT research projects, communications plans, and ideas for future research.
We are looking for:
- young people who have received treatment for mental health conditions, and
- people who provide care for mental health conditions, particularly in the context of young adults and youth mental healthcare.
If you are interested in this, please register at the link above, or contact us directly by email.
Email: e-phit@manchester.ac.uk
In addition to this group, you can also join one or more of our groups focusing on a particular area of research.
Social media and healthy lifestyles in mental healthcare
Are you interested in how social media could be used to support healthy lifestyles in mental healthcare?
We want to hear your views!
We are looking for people who:
- are 16-35 years old
- have been diagnosed with a mental health condition
- have access to a smartphone (iPhone or Android) or internet
- are interested in health research.
Meeting/s will be held on zoom. Future meetings may be online or in-person.
A £20 shopping voucher is available for each member of every meeting.
If you are interested, or want to know more please contact Chelsea Sawyer.
Email: chelsea.sawyer@manchester.ac.uk
Please note: There is limited availability for spaces in each meeting. Invitation to one meeting does not guarantee a place at future meetings.
You can keep up-to-date with our project by reading our blog posts on the News and updates page.
Find out about the team working on the projects and studies.
The e-PHIT team of researchers have expertise in areas such as:
- digital health;
- psychology and mental health;
- behaviour change;
- Physical activity;
- Nutrition;
- statistics;
- software design;
- epidemiology.
The Six key researchers are:
- Dr Joseph Firth, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
- Dr Lamiece Hassan, Research Fellow
- Dr Chelsea Sawyer, Research Associate
- Matthew Waugh, Research Assistant
-
Hannah Fabian, Research Assistant
- Chloe French, Research Assistant
Get in touch with us if you’d like to know more.
Email: e-phit@manchester.ac.uk
Twitter: @PhysMentManc
Contact Us
+44 (0) 161 306 6000
