{
  "abstract": "Exercise physiologists (EPs) are increasingly recognised for their role in supporting people with lived experience of mental health challenges through structured, evidence-based exercise interventions. Despite strong evidence for their impact on health outcomes, routine integration of EPs into mental health systems remains limited. This Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA)-endorsed Consensus Statement aims to define the scope, best-practice principles and integration strategies for EPs working across diverse mental health settings. Methods for development of this Consensus Statement involved formation of a multidisciplinary Advisory Group, a targeted review of literature (2016–2025), a four-step Delphi process and national endorsement by ESSA. 24 experts participated in the consensus process, supported by an Advisory Group of 14 members representing 6 Australian states and territories. Final consensus (≥80% agreement) was achieved across 12 key items. The process identified six interrelated best-practice principles: person-centred, strength-based, recovery-oriented, culturally responsive, mental health and trauma-informed, and behaviour-change strategies, all underpinned by evidence-based care. The resulting scope of practice outlines EP roles across the healthcare journey; from referral and assessment to intervention, review and discharge, and defines professional, leadership and advocacy responsibilities beyond direct care. Integration strategies emphasise collaboration, capacity building and alignment with multidisciplinary mental health models. This Consensus Statement provides structured guidance for workforce development, service planning and policy reform, strengthening the role of exercise professionals in mental healthcare. Clinical exercise professionals internationally can draw on these outcomes as a scalable model for integration into multidisciplinary mental health teams.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Human Performance Research Centre, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia",
        "Nutrition, Exercise and Social Equity (NExuS) Research Group, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Oscar Lederman"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Mental Health, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia",
        "Addictions and Mental Health Service, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Justin Chapman"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia",
        "Mindgardens Neuroscience Network, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Hamish Fibbins"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Human Performance Research Centre, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia",
        "Department of Mental Health, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Darren Haywood"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Human Performance Research Centre, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia",
        "Exercise Medicine Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia",
        "Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia",
        "Centre for Healthcare Transformation, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia",
        "Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Nicolas H Hart"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia",
        "Fremantle Hospital Mental Health Service, South Metropolitan Health Service, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Bonnie Furzer"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nutrition, Exercise and Social Equity (NExuS) Research Group, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia",
        "School of Health Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Kemi Wright"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nutrition, Exercise and Social Equity (NExuS) Research Group, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Grace McKeon"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Jacinta Brinsley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nutrition, Exercise and Social Equity (NExuS) Research Group, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Chiara Mastrogiovanni"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Amanda Semaan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Human Performance Research Centre, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Alessandro Llana"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Robert Stanton"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nutrition, Exercise and Social Equity (NExuS) Research Group, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Simon Rosenbaum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Role of exercise physiologists in mental health support and recovery: 2026 Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) Consensus Statement",
  "uid": "96a77056-66cd-55d6-8b6f-caa250e756ef"
}