title: Integrating behavioral healthcare for individuals with serious mental illness: A randomized controlled trial of a peer health navigator intervention.
abstract: Individuals with serious mental illness also have high rates of comorbid physical health issues. To address those issues, this population needs interventions that improve self-management of health and healthcare.
  
  
  
  In order to improve the health and healthcare of individuals with serious mental illnesses, 151 consumers with serious mental illness were randomized to receive either usual mental healthcare plus the Bridge intervention (n=76) or usual mental healthcare while on a 6month waitlist (n=75). The waitlist group received the intervention after the waitlist period.
  
  
  
  Change score comparisons (difference of differences) of the treatment vs the waitlist groups revealed that the treated group showed significantly greater improvement in access and use of primary care health services, higher quality of the consumer-physician relationship, decreased preference for emergency, urgent care, or avoiding health services and increased preference for primary care clinics, improved detection of chronic health conditions, reductions in pain, and increased confidence in consumer self-management of healthcare.
  
  
  
  Peer providers using a manualized intervention can be an important part of the efforts to address the general medical care of individuals with serious mental illnesses.
authors: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, Montgomery Ross Fisher Building, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Health Services Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90023, USA. Electronic address: kellyeri@usc.edu.
authors: Erin
authors: E
authors: Kelly
authors: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, Montgomery Ross Fisher Building, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Duan
authors: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, Montgomery Ross Fisher Building, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Cohen
authors: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, Montgomery Ross Fisher Building, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
authors: Holly
authors: H
authors: Kiger
authors: Pacific Clinics, 2550 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107, USA.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Pancake
authors: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, Montgomery Ross Fisher Building, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Brekke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D012657:Self-Help Groups
keywords: Integrated health care; Intervention; Peer; Serious mental illness