Physical Activity Training for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Professionals in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) practitioners play a key role in promoting and protecting the mental health of forcibly displaced communities. Physical activity (PA) is an evidence-based, cross-cutting strategy to protect and promote mental and physical health and increase resilience. Although PA is recommended, implementation remains ad hoc. Strengthening the collaboration between PA and mental health workforces may help bridge this gap between knowledge and practice. We conducted a 3-h introductory training for MHPSS practitioners in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on principles of PA promotion, including understanding the difference between PA, sport, and exercise, exploring the evidence linking PA and mental health, assessing PA level, and identifying resources for PA promotion.

The primary aim was to determine the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the workshop. Secondary aims included (i) assessing the impact of the workshop on the attitudes, confidence, and knowledge of practitioners, (ii) assessing the self-reported PA levels of the attendees, and (iii) exploring whether a relationship exists between attitudes, confidence, and knowledge of PA and participant’s own self-reported PA levels. Seventeen participants attended the training and joined an online WhatsApp to facilitate ongoing communication. Training MHPSS practitioners in PA promotion is acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. Further, MHPSS staff may be at risk of physical inactivity, which may have ramifications for their own health and well-being, in addition to their PA promotion practices. Interventions to increase the PA capability of MHPSS staff are warranted.