Integrated Healthcare in a Community-Based Mental Health Center: A Longitudinal Study of Metabolic Risk Reduction

ABSTRACT

People living with serious mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk for metabolically related disease. This study aimed to examine the impact of a collaborative care intervention that targeted metabolically related health risk in adults diagnosed with SMI in a community mental health center. Markers of physical health were collected from a sample of 169 adults served by a federally funded integrated healthcare project. At the six-month follow-up, significant decreases in weight, cholesterol, and cigarette use were found. These findings highlight the important role social work practitioners hold for improving the health status of persons living with SMI.

KEYWORDS:

• Public health
• integrated care
• obesity
• collaborative care
• serious mental illness
• community mental health
• metabolic disease

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge John C. Isbell, Ph.D.; Leslie S. Dawley-Couch, L.P.N.; Kristal D. McBride; Jerry E. Neff, M.D.; Robert Siegmann, M.S.W.; Thomas W. Doub, Ph.D.; Prasad Kodali; Suzanne Koesel, M.S.W.; Frank Stevens, Ph.D.; Bryan P. McCormick, Ph.D.; Priscilla A. Barnes, Ph.D.; Paul Robbins, M.S.; Katie Sewall Martin, M.B.A.; Marlene Alvarez, M.A.; Jan Goodson, B.S.; Russell Galyon, B.S.; Crystal Hurst; Meredith J. West, Ph.D.; James T. Mundell, B.A.; Sangeeth Jeevan, B.S.; Stephanie D. Price, B.A.; Christina M. Berner, B.S.; Lindsay T. Campbell, B.A.; Allen Wang, B.A.; Mitchell Weaver, B.S.; Jonathan D. Snider, B.S.; Daniel Sterling, B.S.; and Avi R. Sonnenschein, B.S. The authors have no disclosures to report.

Funding

This work was funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration grant SM059625. The views and opinions contained in the publication do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and should not be construed as such.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John W. Putz

John W. Putz, Ph.D., is Operations Manager for Research and Evaluation at Centerstone Research Institute, Bloomington, IN.

Hillel E. Sapir

Hillel E. Sapir, M.P.H., is an Evaluation Associate at Centerstone Research Institute, Bloomington, IN.

Jonathan T. Macy

Jonathan T. Macy, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

Tovah E. Lieberman

Tovah E. Lieberman, M.P.H., is a Research Associate at Centerstone Research Institute, Bloomington, IN.

Sarah E. Forster

Sarah E. Forster, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow at Centerstone Research Institute, Bloomington, IN.

Michael Reece

Michael Reece, Ph.D., is Associate Dean at the School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

Kathryn A. Mathes

Kathryn A. Mathes, Ph.D., is Vice-President for Research and Evaluation, Centerstone Research Institute, Bloomington, IN.

Maren Sheese

Maren Sheese, M.SW., is a Program Manager at Centerstone of Indiana, Bloomington, IN.

J. Matthew Andry

J. Matthew Andry, M.D., is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the School of Medicine, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Kathy A. Frasure

Kathy A. Frasure, M.S.N., is a Nurse Practitioner at Centerstone of Indiana.