title: Development of an e-supported illness management and recovery programme for consumers with severe mental illness using intervention mapping, and design of an early cluster randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  E-mental health is a promising medium to keep mental health affordable and accessible. For consumers with severe mental illness the evidence of the effectiveness of e-health is limited. A number of difficulties and barriers have to be addressed concerning e-health for consumers with severe mental illness. One possible solution might be to blend e-health with face-to-face delivery of a recovery-oriented treatment, like the Illness Management & Recovery (IMR) programme. This paper describes the development of an e-health application for the IMR programme and the design of an early clustered randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed the e-IMR intervention according to the six-step protocol of Intervention Mapping. Consumers joined the development group to address important and relevant issues for the target group. Decisions during the six-step development process were based on qualitative evaluations of the Illness Management & Recovery programme, structured interviews, discussion in the development group, and literature reviews on qualitative papers concerning consumers with severe mental illness, theoretical models, behavioural change techniques, and telemedicine for consumers with severe mental illness. The aim of the e-IMR intervention is to help consumers with severe mental illness to involve others, manage achieving goals, and prevent relapse. The e-IMR intervention consists of face-to-face delivery of the Illness Management & Recovery programme and an e-health application containing peer-testimonials on videos, follow up on goals and coping strategies, monitoring symptoms, solving problems, and communication opportunities. We designed an early cluster randomized controlled trial that will evaluate the e-IMR intervention. In the control condition the Illness Management & Recovery programme is provided. The main effect-study parameters are: illness management, recovery, psychiatric symptoms severity, self-management, quality of life, and general health. The process of the IMR program will be evaluated on fidelity and feasibility in semi-structured interviews with participants and trainers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intervention Mapping provided a systematic procedure for the development of this e-health intervention for consumers with severe mental illness and the preparation of an early randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The trial is registered in the Dutch Trial Register: NTR4772 .
authors.affiliation: Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ healthcare, Geert Groteplein 21, PO Box 9101, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. titus.Beentjes@radboudumc.nl.|Saxion University of Applied Science, School of Health, Deventer, The Netherlands. titus.Beentjes@radboudumc.nl.|Dimence Group Mental Health Care Centre, Deventer, The Netherlands. titus.Beentjes@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Titus A A
authors.initials: TAA
authors.lastname: Beentjes
authors.affiliation: Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ healthcare, Geert Groteplein 21, PO Box 9101, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Betsie G I
authors.initials: BGI
authors.lastname: van Gaal
authors.affiliation: Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ healthcare, Geert Groteplein 21, PO Box 9101, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Dimence Group Mental Health Care Centre, Deventer, The Netherlands.|University Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.|GGZ-VS, Institute for Education of Clinical Nurse Specialist in Mental Health, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter J J
authors.initials: PJJ
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.affiliation: Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, IQ healthcare, Geert Groteplein 21, PO Box 9101, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Lisette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schoonhoven
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010379:Peer Group; D011788:Quality of Life; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome