European network for promoting the physical health of residents in psychiatric and social care facilities (HELPS): background, aims and methods.
BACKGROUND
People with mental disorders have a higher prevalence of physical illnesses and reduced life expectancy as compared with the general population. However, there is a lack of knowledge across Europe concerning interventions that aim at reducing somatic morbidity and excess mortality by promoting behaviour-based and/or environment-based interventions.


METHODS
HELPS is an interdisciplinary European network that aims at (i) gathering relevant knowledge on physical illness in people with mental illness, (ii) identifying health promotion initiatives in European countries that meet country-specific needs, and (iii) at identifying best practice across Europe. Criteria for best practice will include evidence on the efficacy of physical health interventions and of their effectiveness in routine care, cost implications and feasibility for adaptation and implementation of interventions across different settings in Europe. HELPS will develop and implement a "physical health promotion toolkit". The toolkit will provide information to empower residents and staff to identify the most relevant risk factors in their specific context and to select the most appropriate action out of a range of defined health promoting interventions. The key methods are (a) stakeholder analysis, (b) international literature reviews, (c) Delphi rounds with experts from participating centres, and (d) focus groups with staff and residents of mental health care facilities.Meanwhile a multi-disciplinary network consisting of 15 European countries has been established and took up the work. As one main result of the project they expect that a widespread use of the HELPS toolkit could have a significant positive effect on the physical health status of residents of mental health and social care facilities, as well as to hold resonance for community dwelling people with mental health problems.


CONCLUSIONS
A general strategy on health promotion for people with mental disorders must take into account behavioural, environmental and iatrogenic health risks. A European health promotion toolkit needs to consider heterogeneity of mental disorders, the multitude of physical health problems, health-relevant behaviour, health-related attitudes, health-relevant living conditions, and resource levels in mental health and social care facilities.
Weiser
Prisca
P
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Günzburg, Germany. prisca.weiser@uni-ulm.de
Becker
Thomas
T
Losert
Carolin
C
Alptekin
Köksal
K
Berti
Loretta
L
Burti
Lorenzo
L
Burton
Alexandra
A
Dernovsek
Mojca
M
Dragomirecka
Eva
E
Freidl
Marion
M
Friedrich
Fabian
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Genova
Aneta
A
Germanavicius
Arunas
A
Halis
Ulaş
U
Henderson
John
J
Hjorth
Peter
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Lai
Taavi
T
Larsen
Jens Ivar
JI
Lech
Katarzyna
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Lucas
Ramona
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Marginean
Roxana
R
McDaid
David
D
Mladenova
Maya
M
Munk-Jørgensen
Povl
P
Paziuc
Alexandru
A
Paziuc
Petronela
P
Priebe
Stefan
S
Prot-Klinger
Katarzyna
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Wancata
Johannes
J
Kilian
Reinhold
R
D005060:Europe; D017144:Focus Groups; D058016:Health Facility Administration; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008605:Mental Health Services; D012114:Residential Treatment