Durham College Studies Exercise Impact on Forensic Patients

Researchers at Durham College are collaborating with Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and the Abilities Centre in Whitby to study the barriers to exercise for forensic patients and the potential benefits of community-based exercise on their physical and mental health. The three-year project is led by Dr. Erin Dancey from Durham College’s Fitness and Health Promotion program and is funded by a $350,000 grant from the College and Community Social Innovation Fund, announced on September 13.

The study aims to develop exercise-based treatment options to reduce health disparities among forensic patients, who are individuals found not criminally responsible for an offense or unfit to stand trial due to mental illness. These patients often face higher risks of obesity and lower levels of physical fitness due to medication effects and limited exercise opportunities in hospital settings.

The first phase of the research will identify barriers to community-based exercise for patients at Ontario Shores. In the second phase, patients will participate in exercise programs at the Abilities Centre, and researchers will assess the impact on their physical fitness, quality of life, social isolation, mental health, and sleep quality.

Dr. Dancey will work with Dr. David Copithorne and Jennifer Bedford from Durham College. The project also offers experiential learning opportunities for students in the Fitness and Health Promotion and Community Mental Health programs, who will assist with research processes and data collection. Media, Art, and Design students will help create a video and infographics to disseminate the findings.

The research may lead to low-cost treatment options for mental illness that can be combined with medication and expanded to other patient groups. It also provides community recreation centers with new tools to support individuals with mental illness.