Rationale, Component Description and Pilot Evaluation of a Physical Health Promotion Measure for People with Mental Disorders across Europe

Prisca Weiser

doi:10.4172/2161-0711.1000298

Abstract

Introduction: The HELPS project aimed at developing a toolkit for the promotion of physical health in people with mental disorders to reduce the substantial excess morbidity and mortality in the target group. Methods: The HELPS toolkit was developed by means of national and international literature reviews, Delphi rounds with mental health experts and focus groups with mental health experts and patients/ residents in 14 European countries. The toolkit was translated into the languages of all participating countries, and usability of toolkit modules was tested. Results: The toolkit consists of several modules addressing diverse somatic health problems, lifestyle, environment issues, patient goals and motivation for health-promotion measures. It aims at empowering people with mental illness and staff to identify physical health risks in their specific contexts and to select the most appropriate modules from a range of health promotion tools. Discussion: The HELPS project used an integrative approach to the development of simple tools for the target population and is available online in 14 European languages. Preliminary evidence suggests that the toolkit can be used in routine care settings and should be put to test in controlled trials to reveal its potential impact.

Highlights

The HELPS project aimed at developing a toolkit for the promotion of physical health in people with mental disorders to reduce the substantial excess morbidity and mortality in the target group
In a systematic review of studies evaluating interventions aimed at changing health behaviour in one or more of the areas of nutrition, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse, sexual risk taking and illicit drug use, Jepson et al [22] have gathered a large body of evidence which illustrates that there are many interventions that have achieved change across a range of health behaviours
The HELPS project is unique in its integrative approach to promoting the physical health of people with mental disorders in residential and community settings, and it addresses barriers to health promotion

Summary

Introduction

The HELPS project aimed at developing a toolkit for the promotion of physical health in people with mental disorders to reduce the substantial excess morbidity and mortality in the target group. There is abundant evidence of excess morbidity and mortality from physical illness among people with mental disorders [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. In a systematic review of studies evaluating interventions aimed at changing health behaviour in one or more of the areas of nutrition, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse, sexual risk taking and illicit drug use, Jepson et al [22] have gathered a large body of evidence which illustrates that there are many interventions that have achieved change across a range of health behaviours

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion