Braining – training as a treatment for mental illness
Braining is physical training as an adjunct to other treatments for mental illness. The goal is to improve the mental and physical health of both patients and staff.
Healthcare professionals lead heart-pumping group training sessions at least 3 times a week where both patients and healthcare professionals can participate. When the patient begins Braining, an individual training plan is created based on the patient's goals and the plan is followed up regularly in individual conversations. Before each training session, the patient has a short assessment and motivational conversation with healthcare professionals. The patient participates in the treatment for an agreed period, usually 12 weeks at a time. Patients can combine training in healthcare with training on their own.
The goal is for patients to start exercising regularly and create sustainable routines for physical activity in everyday life. Effects on well-being, physical activity and somatic values are followed up with the patient.
We call it Braining – physical exercise for the sake of the brain.
Why Braining?
Research shows that physical activity, especially heart rate-raising exercise, has positive health effects. For depression, exercise can be as effective as medication and psychotherapy. For anxiety, exercise works both directly – by quickly lowering anxiety levels – and in the long term as part of treatment. Exercise also improves concentration and learning ability, which is particularly relevant for ADHD, for example. In addition to the psychiatric benefits, there is also strong scientific support showing that physical activity prevents and treats several chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. Exercise has also been shown to have an effect on stress and fatigue in healthcare professionals. Despite knowledge of the benefits of regular exercise, it is often difficult to get started. Braining offers structure, motivation and support from healthcare professionals directly in the psychiatric clinic.
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How was Braining invented?
Braining – an innovation from everyday psychiatry It began in 2017, when staff interested in exercise at Psychiatry South West, together with specialist doctors Lina Martinsson and Åsa Anger, started simple lunch sessions at the Affective clinic – and invited motivated patients to join. The patients first received a lecture on how physical activity affects the brain, and were then offered to book a training session. People with depression and bipolar disorder, among other things, of different ages and of all genders, participated and appreciated the training. Interest grew quickly. More sessions were introduced and the initiative received support from the Center for Psychiatric Research to develop further and spread outside the clinic. Since the start, over 1,000 patients in psychiatric specialist care in the Stockholm Region have participated in Braining.
Initiator
Lina Martinsson
is a specialist in psychiatry and director of operations at Psychiatry Southwest in the Stockholm region. She is the author of Braining. Lina is a PhD researcher in bipolar disorder and lithium response and is now leading the research in the Braining project.
Lina has extensive experience as a group training instructor.
Asa Anger
is a specialist in psychiatry and senior physician at the Addiction Center Stockholm. Åsa has been involved in designing Braining at Psychiatry South West. She is a doctoral student in the Braining project and works at the Center for Psychiatric Research to spread Braining to more psychiatric clinics in the Stockholm Region.
Åsa has been a group fitness instructor in her spare time for many years.