The Provision of Preventive Care for Chronic Disease Risk Behaviours to People with a Mental Health Condition: A Survey of Staff from One Australian Community Managed Organisation

Lauren Gibson, Kate Bartlem, Tara Clinton-McHarg, Magdalena Wilczynska, Alison Rasmussen, Jacqueline Bailey, Jade Ryall, Mark Orr, Janet Ford, Jenny Bowman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

People with mental health conditions have a median reduced life expectancy of 10 years, largely due to a higher prevalence of chronic diseases. Health risk behaviours, including tobacco smoking, inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, harmful alcohol consumption and physical inactivity, contribute substantially to the burden of chronic disease for this population. Community Managed Organisations (CMOs) may have an important role in addressing these behaviours among consumers with a mental health condition; however, little previous research has explored the provision of preventive care from these organisations. To fill this research gap, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted between August and November 2017 with staff (n = 174) of one CMO which has multiple services in two states of Australia. The survey explored the provision of preventive care for four key health risk behaviours. Optimal preventive care (to ≥ 80% consumers for all four behaviours) was reported more frequently for brief advice (28%) and assessment (26%), than for assistance (13%) and referring/connecting consumers to services for help (12%) with modifying health risk behaviours. Preventive care to ≥ 80% consumers was least frequently reported for alcohol consumption and most frequently reported for physical activity. The provision of preventive care for health risk behaviours appears to be part of CMO staffs’ existing practice; however, it does not appear to be routinely provided across all behaviours. Further research exploring the barriers and facilitators to providing preventive care is needed to understand how CMOs may better support people with a mental health condition to improve their health risk behaviours.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)191-198
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature India Private Limited.

Keywords

  • Community mental health
  • Community organisation
  • Health risk behavior
  • Mental health
  • Mental illness
  • Preventive care

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Rehabilitation

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