The Potential Efficacy of the Chinese Health Improvement Profile- A Pilot Clustered Randomised Controlled Trial
Condition: Severe Mental Illness; Schizophrenia; Schizoaffective Disorder; Bipolar Affective Disorder; Cardiovascular Health
MeSH terms: Schizophrenia; Psychotic Disorders; Mental Disorders; Mood Disorders; Bipolar Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The investigators programme of research will evaluate an existing physical health care
      screening intervention with the aim of helping Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPN) to improve
      the physical health wellbeing of people with a SMI.

      This pilot clustered randomised controlled trial aims to establish the potential efficacy and
      acceptability of the Chinese Health Improvement Profile (CHIP) in improving the physical
      health of people with severe mental illness.
    

Detailed description: 
      This pilot study will use a non-blinded parallel group clustered randomised controlled trial
      design.

      The study will be carried out by CPNs with community-dwelling people aged 18-65 who have a
      psychiatric diagnosis of SMI (i.e. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, other psychotic
      disorder or bipolar affective disorder) and at the point of recruitment are being treated in
      the community. It will investigate the potential clinical impact of the use of the CHIP tool
      when used by CPNs with this patient group. Because the CHIP is designed to be used as both an
      enhanced physical health risk screening tool and as an instrument to direct appropriate
      clinical interventions the investigators will ask the patients' allocated CPNs to recruit
      consenting patients , collect outcome measure data and where appropriate use the CHIP tool
      with patients that they work with within their routine clinical practice.

      Primary objective:

      To test the potential efficacy and acceptability of the CHIP intervention compared to
      treatment as usual on patients' physical well- being over a 12 month period.

      Secondary objectives:

      To measure and compare changes in perceived mental well-being between the groups as measured
      at baseline, and at 6 months and 12 months after the start of the intervention.

      To establish differences in the objective physical health state of patients between the
      groups at 12 months as indicated by data routinely recorded in medical/outpatient/nursing
      notes during the duration of study.

      To establish changes in health behaviours and physical indicators of cardiovascular risk
      within the intervention group between baseline and 12 months after the start of the
      intervention.
    

Intervention name(s): Chinese CHIP; Treatment as usual
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Other
Intervention description(s): The CHIP physical health screening tool will be used by community psychiatric nurses in the treatment group to assess patients' physical health risk and identify problematic lifestyle behaviours. The findings from the assessment will be used to devise an individualized care plan with patients. This treatment plan may involve community psychiatric nurses collaborated with psychiatrists, drawing patients attention to indicators of physical health risk by using a traffic light system The community nurses will use motivational interviewing approaches to make patients be aware of their physical health risks and enhance their motivation to adopt healthier behaviours.; The routine community mental health care provided by the community psychiatric nursing service and outpatient clinic.
Other intervention name(s): CHIP; TAU
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Health Services Research
Keywords: severe mental illness; physical health screening; randomised controlled trial; health behaviour change