Building upon the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District’s Keeping the Body in Mind program, this primary care service provides exercise and diet support to people living with complex mental disorders who receive care from their GP, or other primary care provider.

About the project

Historically, only people whose care was managed by South Eastern Sydney Local Health District mental health services could access the Keeping the Body in Mind program. Individuals who received mental health support from their GP were not eligible and there were no other similar services.

Responding to this gap, Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network (CESPHN) funded Keeping the Body in Mind Primary Care, which allows GPs and other primary health care workers to refer people with complex mental health conditions to the service.

Clients can access up to eight free sessions each with an exercise physiologist and dietitian, with face to face and telehealth support options, operating from the UNSW Medicine and Health Lifestyle Clinic. Keeping the Body in Mind Primary Care includes:

• a detailed assessment of exercise, diet and medical history
• goal setting and barrier identification
• education around the physical and mental health benefits of eating well and exercising regularly
• development of personalised physical activity and diet programs
• referral pathways into existing community resources to promote long-term benefits

Eligibility criteria:

1. Diagnosis of a severe mental illness (eg. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder)
2. Not currently having care managed by a public mental health service
3. Reside within Central and Eastern Sydney PHN
4. Aged between 18-65 years

How to join the program:

More information about the Keeping the Body in Mind – Primary Care including referral information can be found at the following link: https://redcap.link/kbimprimary

(Referral must be made by a GP or primary-care clinician. This service is currently available only in the Central & Eastern Sydney PHN region.)

Funding Sources

• Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network
• Maridulu Budyari Gumal, the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE)