Healthy ReStart Intervention to Improve Health and Functioning

Healthy ReStart Intervention to Improve Health and Functioning

This study tests an intervention that uses health coaching, motivational interviewing, positive psychology, and online wellness tools to help adults with mental illness return to active lives after major disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study is testing the efficacy of a brief intervention delivered to adults with mental illness by trained health coaches, designed to help recipients engage in health and mental health self-management, while setting goals to return to an active life after major disruptions such as a pandemic. Adult clients of collaborating community mental health agencies are randomly assigned to the intervention plus services as usual, versus services as usual alone. They are assessed at baseline and 6 months later. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models are used to assess the primary outcome of changes in mental and physical health, functioning, perceived competence for life self-management, and mental health recovery. Also examined are study condition differences in self-advocacy skills, access to services, and disruptions from COVID-19.

Hypothesis 1: Compared to services as usual (SAU), intervention recipients will report better health, well-being, and service use.

Hypothesis 2: Compared to SAU, intervention recipients will have more perceived competence and self-advocacy.

Hypothesis 3: Healthy ReStart recipients will report high levels of satisfaction with the intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 and older
• Diagnosis of serious mental illness defined as a DSM 5 psychiatric disorder and moderate to severe functional impairment
• Membership in a collaborating community mental health agency
• Access to the Internet for online meetings
• Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• A cognitive impairment preventing informed consent
• Unable to communicate in English