Cardiovascular risk assessment and management in mental health clients: whose role is it anyway?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Serious mental illness (SMI) is linked to elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality.
• Effective management of CVD risk factors in SMI populations is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore health practitioners' perspectives on their roles and confidence in assessing and managing CVD risk in patients with SMI.
• To identify barriers and potential solutions for improving CVD risk management within mental health services.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study describing health practitioners' views.
• Exploration of perceived roles, confidence levels, identified barriers, and proposed solutions.

Main Results:

• Practitioners widely acknowledge the necessity of systematic CVD risk assessment and structured risk factor management.
• Key barriers identified include challenges with client engagement, inadequate health systems, and poor inter-professional information sharing.
• Potential solutions involve collaborative care models or integrating physical health services into secondary care settings.

Conclusions:

• There is a consensus on the need for improved CVD risk management in serious mental illness.
• Addressing barriers through integrated care models is essential.
• Proactive implementation of management strategies, even without a perfect model, is critical.