Abstract

COSTA, Raquel; LOURENCO, Paulo; CORREDEIRA, Rui  and  BASTOS, Tânia. How COVID-19 pandemic affected physical activity and mental health interventions - A descriptive example of the Mental Health on the MOVE research project. PsychTech [online]. 2022, vol.5, n.2, pp.47-51.  Epub Feb 07, 2022. ISSN 2184-1004.  https://doi.org/10.26580/pthj.art41-2022.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern. Strategies to manage this pandemic have changed the daily routines of people worldwide, including people with a diagnosis of severe mental disorders. In Portugal, mental health services had to adjust several ambulatory facilities for psychiatry patients, as well as closing the acute day hospitals. Additionally, community-based programs for the Portuguese population were also affected. Mental Health on the MOVE research project is a specific look into how COVID-19 affected physical activity and mental health interventions. This document aims to report how COVID-19 changed the project dynamic, mainly during the exercise sessions and research activities, describing the strategies adopted during this difficult time. This information could be helpful for other research teams that also had to adapt and challenge themselves with clinical and scientific methodologies to follow the project purpose, taking into consideration government rules and health standards.

Keywords : COVID-19; mental disorders; exercise.

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