Evaluating a volunteer ‘Health Champions’ intervention supporting people with severe mental illness to manage their physical health: Feasibility hybrid randomised controlled trial

Williams, Julie, McGrath, Ray, Ang, Karen, Bakolis, Ioannis, Healey, Andy, Arias de la Torre, Jorge, Mdudu, Isabel, Gaughran, Fiona, Sadler, Euan, Pinto da Costa, Mariana, Green, Errol, Stepan, Natalia, Tredget, Gracie, Khadjesari, Zarnie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2958-9555, Cross, Sean and Sevdalis, Nick (2024) Evaluating a volunteer ‘Health Champions’ intervention supporting people with severe mental illness to manage their physical health: Feasibility hybrid randomised controlled trial. BJPsych Open, 10 (5). ISSN 2056-4724

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Abstract

Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI) have worse physical health than the general population. There is evidence that support from volunteers can help the mental health of people with SMI, but little evidence regarding the support they can give for physical health. Aims: To evaluate the feasibility of an intervention where volunteer ‘Health Champions’ support people with SMI in managing their physical health. Method: A feasibility hybrid randomised controlled trial conducted in mental health teams with people with SMI. Volunteers delivered the Health Champions intervention. We collected data on the feasibility of delivering the intervention, and clinical and cost-effectiveness. Participants were randomised by a statistician independent of the research team, to either having a Health Champion or treatment as usual. Blinding was not done. Results: We recruited 48 participants: 27 to the intervention group and 21 to the control group. Data were analysed for 34 participants. No changes were found in clinical effectiveness for either group. Implementation outcomes measures showed high acceptability, feasibility and appropriateness, but with low response rates. No adverse events were identified in either group. Interviews with participants found they identified changes they had made to their physical health. The cost of implementing the intervention was £312 per participant. Conclusions: The Health Champion intervention was feasible to implement, but the implementation of the study measures was problematic. Participants found the intervention acceptable, feasible and appropriate, and it led them to make changes in their physical health. A larger trial is recommended, with tailored implementation outcome measures.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, J.W., upon reasonable request. Funding information: The research was funded by the Maudsley Charity. I.B., A.H. and F.G.'s research is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (grant number 2018-86). F.G. and I.B. are also in part supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London. A.H. is a member of King's Improvement Science, which offers co-funding to the NIHR ARC South London and comprises a specialist team of improvement scientists and senior researchers based at King's College London. Its work is funded by King's Health Partners (Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust), Guy's and St Thomas’ Charity and the Maudsley Charity. This is a summary of research supported by the NIHR ARC East of England. R.M. is an NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellow supported by Health Education England and the NIHR. E.S. is supported by the NIHR ARC Wessex. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Behavioural and Implementation Science Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Promotion
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	07 Oct 2024 16:30
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2024 00:05
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/96932
DOI:	10.1192/bjo.2024.746

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