HELPS Project Methods

The key methods of the project are international literature reviews, Delphi rounds with experts from participating countries and focus groups with staff members and residents of mental health care Institutions. Standardized approaches, developed by World Health Organization will be used for the development and translation of assessment instruments. Modern information and communication techniques (eHealth) will be used for the dissemination and the application of the health promotion toolkit.

A systematic literature review on physical health problems in people with mental illness and on instruments for the assessment of the physical health status, health relevant behaviour and health related attitudes will be conducted to get a comprehensive picture of the international knowledge and the international state of the art of measurement in this field.

Results of the literature review will be used to prepare questionnaires for Delphi exercises with psychiatrist and other health experts from the participating countries. Delphi exercises will be conducted to collect information on the prevalence and causes of physical health problems in residents of mental health care Institutions, the appropriateness of accessible assessment techniques, the availability of health promoting programmes and the extent of its implementation in mental health care Institutions.

Results of Delphi exercises will be used to prepare focus group sessions with residents and staff members of mental health care Institutions. Focus groups will be conducted in several Institutions in each participating country to gather information on the residents’ and staff members’ subjective perception of physical health problems, their attitudes on the causes of health risks and its controllability, their willingness to engage in health promoting activities and their assessment of the suitability and feasibility of routine assessment techniques and interventions programmes for health promotion. Focus groups will be also used for assessing the suitability and the feasibility of the health promotion toolkit.

Modern information and communication techniques will be used for the production of electronic assessment instruments and electronic algorithms for the selection of suitable intervention programmes. Electronic multimedia techniques will be used to produce health education materials and user friendly instructions for the application of health promoting intervention programmes.