title: What Physical Health Means to Me: Perspectives of People with Mental Illness.
abstract: There are significant inequalities in physical health and life expectancy between people with and without a mental illness. Understanding perspectives of people with mental illness on personal meanings of physical health is essential to ensuring health services are aligned with consumer understandings, needs, and values. A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken involving focus groups with 31 consumers in The Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Participants were asked: "What does physical health mean to you?" Thematic analysis was applied to interview transcripts. Five themes are discussed, representing different emphases in the meaning of physical health: (1) physical and mental are interconnected, (2) absence of disease, (3) moving the body, (4) struggling for healthy diet, and (5) functioning and participation. Physical pain was a difficulty that arose across these themes. Mental health consumers see physical health as always connected with well-being. Nurses would benefit from been informed by consumer understandings of physical health. In addition, there should be more attention to quality of life measures of people with mental illness as these are more congruent with consumer perspectives on physical health than biomedical measures.
authors: a SYNERGY: Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra, Faculty of Health, and ACT Health, Canberra Hospital , Woden , Australia.
authors: Brenda
authors: B
authors: Happell
authors: b SYNERGY: Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra and ACT Health , Woden , Australia.
authors: Stephanie B
authors: SB
authors: Ewart
authors: a SYNERGY: Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra, Faculty of Health, and ACT Health, Canberra Hospital , Woden , Australia.
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Platania-Phung
authors: a SYNERGY: Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra, Faculty of Health, and ACT Health, Canberra Hospital , Woden , Australia.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Bocking
authors: a SYNERGY: Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra, Faculty of Health, and ACT Health, Canberra Hospital , Woden , Australia.
authors: Brett
authors: B
authors: Scholz
authors: c Central Queensland University, School of Medical and Applied Sciences, Queensland, Australia, SYNERGY: Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra, Faculty of Health, and ACT Health, Canberra Hospital , Woden , Australia.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Stanton
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D020958:Australian Capital Territory; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008603:Mental Health; D011788:Quality of Life