Attitudes to health promotion interventions among patients in mental health services – differences in relation to socio-demographic, clinical and health-related variables

Abstract

Background: Increasing evidence about the high social and economic costs of poor mental health has contributed to a growing recognition of the need for health promotion interventions in mental health services. In spite of this, little empirical research has been performed investigating patients' attitudes to health promotion interventions.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in patients' attitudes to health promotion interventions with regard to socio-demographic, clinical and health-related variables.

Methods: The study has a cross-sectional design. The participants were recruited randomly and consisted of 141 outpatients, 91 women and 50 men. The participants rated their attitudes in accordance to the Health Promotion Intervention Questionnaire (HPIQ).

Results: The result showed a clear indication that there are gender differences in attitudes of health promotion interventions in mental health services. The main significant differences were that, females rated overall health promotion interventions as well as alliance and empowerment as more important than males did.

Conclusions: It is suggested that gender issues have to be considered in health promotion interventions in mental health services and taken into account in the assessment, planning and delivery of the interventions as well as the evaluation of outcomes.

Keywords:

• Attitudes
• gender
• health
• health promotion
• mental health services

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the article.