Adapting the severe mental illness physical Health Improvement Profile for use in primary care

Abstract

People with severe mental illness (SMI) have a higher incidence of long-term physical conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This can dramatically reduce their life expectancy. In the UK, it is the duty of health-care professionals in primary care to monitor the physical health of this group of people. However, these professionals have been given no specific training in order to do this effectively. The Northampton Physical Health and Well-Being Project has been developed in order to reduce the mortality of people with SMI, improve their physical and emotional health, and increase their support network. We have adapted the Health Improvement Profile (a tool to help mental health nurses profile the physical health of people with SMI) for use in primary care by creating a manual and website and will provide bespoke training in its use to the health-care professionals.

Nurses' views on physical activity for people with serious mental illness

“…Physical and mental health comorbidities are common (De Hert et al, 2011;Hardy & Gray, 2010;Jacobi et al, 2004;Lawrence & Kisely, 2010), and persons diagnosed with serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder have a relative reduced life expectancy of around 25 years (Brown, Kim, & Mitchell, 2010;Colton & Manderscheid, 2006). Health consumers with SMI experience unique challenges to physical health, such as increased body fat gains as a result of antipsychotic treatment (Schwartz, Nihalani, Jindal, Virk, & Jones, 2004), reduced access to services due to lack of affordability, highly divided and poor co-ordination of health care services, and the stigma associated with mental illness (Robson & Gray, 2007), as well as a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours .…”

“…Nurses are particularly appropriate for this role due to the close bonds and trust developed with consumers which provides unique insight into individual circumstances . For instance, in mental health care settings, nurses have first-hand awareness of the physical health barriers faced by individual consumers, a sense of their progress with mental illness management and recovery, and their level of support from friends, family and caregivers (Hardy & Gray, 2010).…”

Physical Health Inequities in People with Severe Mental Illness: Identifying Initiatives for Practice Change

“…Although contemporary nursing espouses the provision of holistic care, gross inequities exist in the level of physical health care afforded to people with SMI (Hardy & Gray, 2010;Hardy & Thomas, 2012). These barriers exist on multiple levels and involve lifestyle and mental illness associated factors, issues that relate to health care providers, and systemic issues (Lawrence & Kisley, 2010).…”

“…Literature reveals that a number of interventions to address these barriers have been considered. These include programs that focus on modifying lifestyle factors (Smith et al, 2007;Van Citters et al, 2010), health education and health promotion programs Forsberg, Bjorkman, Sandman, & Sandlund, 2008), and the development of physical health assessment tools for health care professionals (Hardy & Gray, 2010;Nash, 2011;Phelan et al, 2004;Stanley & Laugharne, 2011;Vasudev, Thakkar, & Mitcheson, 2012).…”

Psikiyatri Kliniğinde Yatan Hastaların Komorbit Somatik Hastalıkları

“…Çalışmamızda ruhsal rahatsızlıklara eşlik eden somatik tanıların büyük çoğunluğunun endokrinolojik ve nörolojik hastalıklar olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Psikiyatri hastalarının somatik hastalıklarının başında diyabet, kardiyovasküler hastalıklar ve obezite gelmektedir (7). Morbidite ve mortaliteyi etkileyen olayların başında ise serobrovasküler hastalıklar ve miyokard enfarktüsü gelmektedir (8).…”