Improving health promotion in psychiatric inpatient settings

Abstract

This article describes some of the physical health needs of patients with severe and enduring mental health problems resident within psychiatric rehabilitation inpatient settings. Service providers often prioritise patient's mental—over physical—health needs, and patients face many barriers in accessing appropriate physical health monitoring. The comorbid presentation of physical health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, emphysema and diabetes leave patients at risk of reduced life expectancy, decreased quality of life and restrictions on wider recovery goals. This article describes the development and implementation of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) psycho-education intervention that aims to increase patient's awareness of physical wellbeing, promote choice around healthy lifestyles, measure progress and outcomes and encourage screening and self-management of existing physical health problems.