title: Evaluating interventions to improve somatic health in severe mental illness: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present a systematic review of the evaluation of randomized interventions directed toward improving somatic health for patients with severe mental illness (SMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search in PubMed, Embase, Cinahl, and PsycInfo was performed. The scope of the search was prospective studies for patients aged 18-70, published from January 2000 till June 2011. Randomized interventions directed toward improving somatic health for patients with SMI were selected. We excluded studies on elderly, children, and studies performed before 2000. Information on population, type of intervention, follow-up, outcome measures, and on authors' conclusions were drawn from the original articles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two original studies were included, presenting four types of interventions: health education (n = 9), exercise (n = 6), smoking cessation (n = 5), and changes in health care organization (n = 2). To evaluate the effect of these studies 93 different outcome measures were used in 16 categories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many interventions directed toward improving somatic health for patients with SMI have been started. These studies did not apply similar evaluations, and did not use uniform outcome measures of the effect of their interventions. Valuable comparisons on effectiveness are therefore almost impossible.
authors: Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; GGZ WNB, Mental Health Hospital, Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands.
authors: F M
authors: FM
authors: van Hasselt
authors: P F M
authors: PF
authors: Krabbe
authors: D G
authors: DG
authors: van Ittersum
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Postma
authors: A J M
authors: AJ
authors: Loonen
mesh_terms: D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D006296:Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D016540:Smoking Cessation
keywords: health promotion; health status; mental disorders; patient care management