Identifying Physical Health Concerns of People With a Mental Health Condition: An RCT

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Cardiovascular Health
• Health Intervention Studies

Background:

• PhysiCards are designed to empower individuals with mental health conditions to proactively manage physical health, including cardiovascular disease risks.
• This study evaluated the effectiveness of PhysiCards within a community mental health setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if PhysiCards improve the identification of cardiovascular disease and other physical health concerns among mental health service users.
• To determine if PhysiCards prompt individuals to seek support for newly identified health issues.

Main Methods:

• A parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 154 participants accessing community mental health services.
• Participants were randomized to receive usual care or usual care plus PhysiCards in a single session.
• Outcomes were measured via support worker records and participant surveys at baseline and follow-up.

Main Results:

• Intervention group participants were significantly more likely to identify physical health concerns (OR=16.7), cardiovascular disease concerns (OR=7.89), and new health concerns (OR=7.40).
• PhysiCards demonstrated high acceptability among users.
• No significant differences were observed in discussing concerns with health professionals or confidence levels.

Conclusions:

• PhysiCards are effective tools for identifying cardiovascular disease and physical health concerns in individuals with mental health conditions.
• Additional strategies may be needed to enhance the translation of identified concerns into professional healthcare seeking behaviors.