Co-producing resources to bridge the gap between NHS mental health trusts and community providers to support people with severe mental illness live active lives in their community

Background Life expectancy is reduced by 15–20 years for people with severe mental illness (SMI). Many of these premature deaths are due to preventable physical illness, which taking part in physical activity can help address. During the SPACES 18-week supervised physical activity intervention, participants and advisors emphasised the crucial role of community-based physical activity providers in helping people with SMI maintain their physical activity after the end of the intervention. However, community-based physical activity providers often lack guidance or support to engage people with SMI, which may hinder physical activity maintenance for this population. The aim of Community-SPACES (Co-SPACES) was to co-produce support resources for community-based physical activity providers and NHS professionals, to enhance physical activity engagement among people living with SMI. Methods Support resources were developed using the Double Diamond design framework. Data was collected through 32 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with NHS staff trained to deliver the SPACES intervention and community-based activity providers, a national survey of 52 community-based physical activity providers and three co-production workshops involving people with SMI, community-based physical activity providers and NHS professionals. Findings from the interviews and survey were synthesised to inform the workshops and guide the co-production process. Results Interviews and survey findings highlighted community providers’ willingness to be inclusive, alongside limited confidence, knowledge, and procedural guidance for supporting people with SMI. These insights informed the co-production of two resources: a practical support booklet and a lived-experience video. Conclusions Co-SPACES co-produced resources to support community-based physical activity providers in engaging people with SMI. These resources are expected to enhance the impact of the SPACES intervention and, when implemented in community settings, improve providers’ capacity to create safe and inclusive spaces for physical activity.