Improving Physical Health Among People With Serious Mental Illness: The Role of the Specialty Mental Health Sector

Increasing capacity to address the physical health needs of patients in a mental health and addictions hospital

“…The findings of this project uphold previous research where staff identified that organizational investment in resources and training enhanced nurses’ ability to address physical health concerns (McGinty et al, 2021; Osborne et al, 2021). As evidenced by the results of this project, the multifaceted strategy inclusive of prerequisite learning opportunities and hands‐on simulation competency‐based education was effective in improving nurses’ confidence with completing NPHA.…”

“…Previous literature has identified that the workplace has the greatest effect on the attitudes of nurses toward the physical health care of persons with mental health illnesses (Wynaden et al, 2016). Therefore, it is imperative that organizations remove barriers as well as implement facilitators to shift the workplace culture and enable physical healthcare provision (Lerbaek et al, 2021;McGinty et al, 2021). In addition, pilot implementations and evaluations of training development and documentation standards are essential for informed decision-making and nursing engagement before the spread and scale of project work.…”

“…Research has demonstrated that these transfers can be disruptive to psychiatric treatments, therapeutic interventions, and relationships. In addition, transfers themselves may be distressing for patients and may cause other negative effects such as increased length of stay, or experiences of stigma related to their mental health condition in the facility they have been transferred to for medical care (McGinty et al, 2021; Rodgers et al, 2018). Further, these transfers are costly to the healthcare system, resulting in increased emergency department visits, increased staffing requirements to safely accompany persons detained under the Mental Health Act or criminal code legislation, and costs related to patients occupying beds in two locations at once.…”

“…In fact, poorer physical health outcomes are reported globally among those experiencing mental illness or substance use disorders, with common comorbidities including hypertension, obesity, pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus (Osborne et al, 2021). Early deaths among individuals with mental illness have also been noted, with life expectancies ranging from 10 to 15 years less than the general population (McGinty et al, 2021; Rodgers et al, 2018).…”

“…Mental health and addiction settings have an obligation to prevent further physical illness and improve the quality of life of patients in their care. Undiagnosed or undertreated health conditions pose a risk of further deterioration and life‐threatening complications, such as kidney failure from unmanaged diabetes, or premature death (McGinty et al, 2021). The aim of this paper is to describe a quality improvement initiative in a large, urban mental health and addictions hospital aimed at sustainably increasing nursing capacity for physical healthcare provision.…”