Mind Your Health: A feasibility and acceptability study of an Allied Health Cardiometabolic Health Model of Care for Adolescents in Community Mental Health Services
Cassandra Butler1,2, Samantha Bicker11Queensland Health Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Qld, Australia2University of Queensland School of Human Movement and Nutrition Science, St Lucia, Qld, 4072
Abstract
Background:
People with severe mental illness (SMI) experience increased mortality rates attributed to poorer physical health. Adolescents with mental illness face multiple barriers to adopting protective physical health behaviours, with positive physical health experiences during adolescence predicting maintenance of these behaviours into adulthood. Cardiometabolic services offered by mainstream providers are not tailored to the unique needs of SMI consumers and mental health services struggle to provide specialised programs to treat and prevent physical health co-morbidities. An allied health led Model of Care (MoC) in Community Mental Health Services was established to provide access to a cardiometabolic intervention outreach program as an early intervention strategy for adolescents with a mental health diagnosis and comorbid cardiometabolic risks.
Methods:
The Moc is being implemented and evaluated in Children’s Health Queensland. The evaluation employs a mixed methods design using quantitative and qualitative measures to determine acceptability and feasibility of the model, occupational performance, consumer satisfaction and mental health outcomes.
Results:
Preliminary evaluations highlight positive utilisation of the clinical team, with team referrals demonstrating the need for activity across the program areas of consultation liaison and individual discipline-based therapies for dietetics, exercise physiology and occupational therapy. Project reports are being finalised which include future recommendations for evidence-based implementation.
Discussion:
This project will contribute to emerging literature of preventative cardiometabolic health interventions within Child and Youth Mental Health Service and support the implementation of recommendations from the Queensland Parliamentary Reform Priorities 2022.
Project is supported by the Queensland Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer (OCAHO).
Biography
Cassandra, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with 7-years’ experience in adult and child and youth public mental health services, has developed and evaluated various physical health and exercise physiology services within mental health settings. Cassandra is a current UQ PhD student and guest lecturer at multiple universities.
Samantha Bicker is the Director of Occupational Therapy within CHQ-CYMHS. Samantha has practised within UK and Australian mental health services for over 21 years, working alongside multi-disciplinary teams utilising preventative health measures to support consumer physical health outcomes. Samantha holds particular interest in embedding preventative measures to reduce cardiometabolic health risks within CYMHS populations.