Strengthening the Delivery of Physical Healthcare for Adults Living With Serious Mental Illness – A Qualitative Description of Patient and Family Member Perspectives
Bibliographic Data
BACKGROUND: Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) have higher rates of comorbid physical health conditions, poorer associated health outcomes, and die on average 10-20 years earlier than the general population. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of adults living with SMI and family members with accessing physical healthcare within primary and mental health settings in Canada. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews with 20 adults living with SMI and five focus groups with 18 family members between July 2023 and April 2024. After coding by two authors, thematic analysis was completed with the support of a data analysis team to identify overarching themes capturing participant experiences with accessing physical healthcare, care needs and preferences. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from participant narratives: (1) The centrality of mental health problems in the lives of people with SMI; (2) Challenges in accessing physical healthcare; (3) The role of families in supporting access to care; (4) Perceived health priorities and preferences. There was a high degree of congruence between the perspectives of individuals living with SMI and family members. Both participant groups described challenges accessing primary care settings, fragmented health services, and a desire for person-centred, whole-person health within mental health settings, with family member support where available. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study highlight the need for advancing the integration of physical healthcare within mental health settings for adults living with SMI, who are less likely to engage with community-based primary care services. Enhanced access to physical healthcare could leverage multidisciplinary resources in these settings and partnerships with families. These findings can inform efforts to provide whole-person healthcare for individuals experiencing SMI. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The study team collaborated closely with community organizations and individuals with lived experience at every stage of this research. This included contributions to the funding proposal, the study protocol, participant recruitment, study materials, data analysis and preparing the manuscript. Individuals with lived experience and family members actively participated in management and project meetings for the duration of the study
Focus group · Health care · Mental health · Mental illness · Population · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Social support · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Family Caregiving in Mental Illness · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Nursing · Psychology · Schizophrenia research and treatment · Social Psychology · Gerontology
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions
Physical illness in patients with severe mental disorders. I. Prevalence, impact of medications and disparities in health care
Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders
Premature Mortality Among Adults With Schizophrenia in the United States
Relationship-centered Care. A Constructive Reframing
Purposive sampling
A critical review of research into mental health consumers' perspectives on their physical health
Saturation in qualitative research
Care Coordination and Population Health Management Strategies and Challenges in a Behavioral Health Home Model
Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care Services for People with Serious Mental Illness
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Different Paradigm Conceptions and Their Implications for Qualitative Research
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |