Physical Health Improvement Intervention for People Admitted to Mental Health Service

Establishing Utility of a Physical Health Improvement Intervention in a Regional Mental Health Impatient Service: a Multimethod Study

This study aims to codesign and implement a physical health improvement behaviour change intervention for people being treated for a mental illness in a mental health inpatient unit of a regional hospital.

People in regional areas with mental illness suffer high prevalence of preventable chronic health conditions. Multi-morbidity in people with mental illness contributes to a reduced life expectancy of up to 20 years. Many physical diseases are preventable and/or reversable if risk factors are identified early, and the right health promotion tools and interventions are provided. Addressing such a complex issue for people with mental illness requires an approach which is adaptable, has been co-designed with clinicians and consumers and is comprehensive to target individualised health behaviours.

This research uses the Health Improvement Profile (HIP) tool to help clinicians (e.g. nurses, doctors) to assess patients physical health and identify risk factors or early signs of chronic disease. Using the Health Improvement Profile (HIP) tool during admission the clinicians will work with clients to implement the most suitable health promotion tools to help improve physical health.

Using implementation research methodology and following the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) the study is broken into the following 4 stages:

• Identify
• Adapt - codesign/adapt Health Improvement Profile (HIP) intervention and develop user training
• Implement - into clinical areas to assist developing personalised Health Improvement Profile (HIP)
• Evaluate - using both qualitative and quantitative data to determine feasibility of the Health Improvement Profile (HIP) and implementation in a regional health service

Inclusion Criteria:

• This study is being carried out in an inpatient service therefore clinical staff must be registered by their professional governing body with a minimum of 6 months employment at the service or within the region to participate in stages 2 and 3. Graduate clinicians with less than 6 months working experience will be excluded from the study. Clinicians new to the region with less than 6 months working experience in location will be excluded from the study. Clinical roles within the facility include but not limited to:

  • Nurses (enrolled or registered)
  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychologists
  • Social Workers

Clients of the inpatient mental health service eligible to be included in the study must be:

• Over the age of 18 years
• Able to read, understand and speak English
• A current or previous user of the hospital's services
• A current or previous user of the inpatient services
• A carer of someone who is a current or previous user of the inpatient mental health service
• Able to provide consent
• Not an employee
• Not a health professional