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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2022, 24, N3 (pages: 13 - 19)

Results of a survey among opioid addiction treatment providers on the importance of physical exercise

Spitzer U., Meyer M., Guggisberg E., Mirek K., Walter M., and Dursteler K.M.

Summary: Physical exercise has significant benefits for mental and physical health. The Federal Office of Public Health in Switzerland defined exercise as a medium-term treatment goal in the manual of heroin-assisted treatment. Sixty-four opioid agonist treatment providers and specialized psychosocial treatment centers across the German-speaking part of Switzerland were asked to fill in a brief, self-developed questionnaire to find out whether exercise programs are offered and what they consist of. The questionnaire additionally addressed the caregivers' assessment of their respective treatment facilities importance to their patients, their attitude towards exercising programs, and the frequency of mentioning exercise in patient encounters. Fifty-one questionnaires were returned. According to the caregivers, 76% of patients considered their treatment facility to be the first point of contact in case of an emergency. Caregivers who deemed the provision of exercise programs more important also mentioned exercise more often in their patient encounters and motivated patients more often. While the importance of exercise programs was rated high by 45% of caregivers, only seven respondents reported that regular exercise has been implemented as part of their treatment services. The most common suggestion of a sports program was (Nordic) walking, followed by yoga and endurance sports. There is a mismatch between what is recommended and known regarding cost effectiveness of physical exercise in general, any form of walking in opioid addiction treatment, and what is actually offered and put into practice. Since this intervention allows the inclusion of most patients regardless of their fitness level or health condition, the reasons for this mismatch remain elusive and should be further explored.