The Potential Impact of a Public Health Approach to Improving the Physical Health of People Living with Mental Illness

"I have to fight for them to investigate things": a qualitative exploration of physical and mental healthcare for women diagnosed with mental illness

Introduction

Women play a significant role in the management of their own healthcare and that of others, however women diagnosed with mental illness and physical health concerns experience significant health inequalities as compared to people living without mental health concerns.

Methods

In this paper, we reflect on the experiences of 20 cis women diagnosed with mental and physical health concerns who agreed to be a part of this research. This qualitative study is part of the larger Healthtalk Australia research project which was not gender specific. Female participants shared many experiences of mental and physical healthcare in interviews with researchers that pointed to the need for a gendered approach to addressing health inequalities. Consequently, we iteratively consolidated transcripts of interviews with participants into thematic categories facilitated by NVIVO 12.

Results

We identified two broad themes and a set of subthemes: in the doctor's office - experience of labelling; negotiating medications; and interactions with physical and mental health, and outside the doctor's office - responses to trauma, financial concerns, and reliance on participant's internal resources to get healthcare needs met.

Discussion

We conclude that participants in this study undertook significant work to manage their own healthcare needs, despite being challenged by clinicians and systems that failed to see them as whole people with expertise regarding their own health.

A Cardiovascular Risk Optimization Program in People With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of premature death in people with schizophrenia. Some modifiable factors that have been implicated include unhealthy lifestyle, medication side effects, and physical comorbidities. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of a 6-month, multifactorial cardiovascular risk intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk (CVR) in people with schizophrenia.

METHODS

We conducted a 2-arm, parallel, randomized clinical trial in a regional mental health center. Participants with at least 1 poorly controlled cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF) (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, or tobacco smoking) were randomly assigned to the intervention group or to a control group. The subjects in the intervention group received a patient-centered approach that included promoting a healthy lifestyle, pharmacological management of CVRFs, psychotropic drug optimization, and motivational follow-up [Programa d'optimització del RISc CArdiovascular (PRISCA)]. The main outcome was change in CVR as assessed using the Framingham-REGICOR function, after 6 months compared with the baseline in both groups.

RESULTS

Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to the PRISCA group (n=23) or the control group (n=23). The most prevalent CVRFs at baseline were hypercholesterolemia (84.8%) and tobacco smoking (39.1%). The PRISCA group showed a significant reduction in the REGICOR score (-0.96%; 95% CI: -1.60 to -0.32, P=0.011) after 6 months (relative risk reduction of 20.9%), with no significant changes in the control group (0.21%; 95% CI: -0.47 to 0.89, P=0.706). In the PRISCA group, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol also decreased significantly (-27.14 mg/dL; 95% CI: -46.28 to -8.00, P=0.008).

CONCLUSION

A patient-centered, multifactorial cardiovascular risk intervention improved CVR in people with schizophrenia after 6 months, which was achieved mainly by improving the lipid profile.

A critical review of research into mental health consumers' perspectives on their physical health: Is there an absence of consumers in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of this research?

We conducted a critical review, using systematic methods, of the literature examining mental health consumer perspectives on their physical and mental health in academic research published between 2005 and 2021. This review examined the inclusion, extent, type and centrality of consumer perspectives regarding their mental and physical health. The search produced 1,865 papers from which 116 met the inclusion criteria. Studies predominantly focused on consumers' individual experiences of their physical and mental health, including but not limited to their understandings and experiences of medication and associated risk factors. They also captured some social aspects of mental health consumers' physical health, including factors that impacted individual agency, stigma, and social and interpersonal factors. Structural factors affecting physical and mental health, such as accessibility of services and financial constraints, were also identified. The review revealed that in comparison to clinician perspectives, the direct representation of consumer perspectives was lacking. Similarly, while clinician and carer perspectives on structural factors were investigated, the consumer perspective in this area was missing. The review also found few genuine codesigned or coproduced research studies. To better identify and respond to the health needs as prioritized by consumers, this paper argues it is imperative that future studies prioritize codesigned and coproduced research. It is argued that a focus on "services as provided" rather than "services as received" has contributed to a lack of progress in addressing the life expectancy gap for consumers. It is recommended that journals, ethics committees and research policy organizations develop guidelines and standards to inform best practice in research on consumer perspectives and experience and to support the implementation of codesigned and/or coproduced approaches in future research. Respecting and including consumers as equal partners in the research process will lead to more meaningful insights to inform policy and practice and reduce the life expectancy gap for people living with mental health concerns.

A retrospective analysis of complications associated with postpartum hemorrhage up to 1 year postpartum in mothers with and without a pre-existing mental health diagnosis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

There is limited research on the associated immediate and long-term outcomes of postpartum hemorrhage. Mothers with a pre-existing psychiatric disease prior to delivery may be especially vulnerable to postpartum hemorrhage outcomes but little is known on this topic. Barriers to studying this population exist and add to knowledge gaps. The goal of this study is to determine the clinical characteristics and frequency of complications within 1 year of a postpartum hemorrhage diagnosis and the psychiatric sequelae within 7 days of a postpartum hemorrhage diagnosis in mothers with a pre-existing mental health diagnosis prior to delivery versus those without.

METHODS/DESIGN

This is a multicenter retrospective observational cohort study using TriNetX, a de-identified electronic health record database. The following electronic health record data were collected and evaluated in postpartum females who were billed for either a vaginal or cesarean delivery: age, race, ethnicity, diagnostic codes, medication codes, and number of deaths.

RESULTS

We included 10,649 subjects (6994 (65.7%) no mental health diagnosis and 3655 (34.3%) pre-existing mental health diagnosis). Haloperidol administration (118 (3.2%) versus 129 (1.8%), p < 0.001) was more prevalent in subjects with a pre-existing mental health diagnosis. Adjusting for demographics, pre-existing mental health diagnoses were associated with complications within 1 year after postpartum hemorrhage diagnosis (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.26-1.52, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Having a mental health disorder history is associated with a higher odds of developing subsequent complications within 1 year of postpartum hemorrhage diagnosis. Mothers with a pre-existing mental health disorder have a significantly higher frequency of certain severe postpartum hemorrhage sequelae, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, retained placenta, sickle cell crisis, and need for mechanical ventilation/tracheostomy up to 1 year after delivery. Medications such as haloperidol were ordered more frequently within 7 days of a postpartum hemorrhage diagnosis in these mothers as well. Further research is needed to understand and manage the unique consequences of postpartum hemorrhage in this vulnerable maternal population.