A person‑centered method for lifestyle changes in persons with mental illness

In Western countries, mental illness is the main cause of disabilities and accounts for 30–40 percent of chronic sick leave and costs about 3 percent of GDP (WHO, 2022). A priority area is therefore to prevent and improve mental illness as well as physical, mental, and social comorbidity (Government, 2021).

Persons with mental illness often receive unequal health care, lack of support to carry out lifestyle changes, have both physical, mental, and social illness, and a shorter life expectancy compared to the rest of the population. One of the causes of the illness is poor lifestyle habits such as physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, inadequate coping strategies for mental illness and lack of social relationships.

The purpose of the project is to study the integration and effects of the lifestyle program in municipal care. Furthermore, the study aims to investigate the program's impact on physical, mental, and social health, as well as health knowledge of the participants with mental illness.

The study consists of several parts: Education/supervision of nursing staff, and group education of the participants under the guidance of nursing staff. The lifestyle program will be evaluated through interviews, health tests and assessment tools. The measurements will be carried out before the group education starts, after 20 weeks and after 1, 2 and 3 years. In addition, individual interviews with persons with mental illness, nursing staff and managers will be conducted after 20 weeks and after 1, 2 and 3 years.