Health Promotion Lifestyle Program in Improving Health for Subjects With High-Risk of Mental Illness

Background and Aims:

The health promotion and illness prevention is a major issue in World Health Organization and the major policy in Taiwan. Early finding for people with high-risk mental status plays the important role in mental health promotion. In evidence data, before specific psychotic symptoms appear, individuals may experience a period of nonspecific prodromal symptoms and growing functional impairment. Early interventions may alter the natural course of mental diseases and improve treatment outcomes. This study aimed to understand the effects of the health promotion lifestyle program in reducing physical and psychological symptoms and improving general quality of life to preventing mental disability for young adults at high-risk status of mental illness.

Study methods:

The clinical trial experimental design was used for this study. Participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Four scales and objective physical assessments were used for evaluating study outcomes. Data of pre- and post-tests were analyzed by pair-t-test. The effects of program were evaluated by independent t-test on measures after the intervention program for two groups.

Study Outcomes:

A total of 1657 young adults were approached, including undergraduate students in two universities and clinets in two clinics. Among them, 126 young adults meet the screen criteria and agreed to participate this study and signed inform consent. We interviewed all 116 potential participants and evaluated their mental status. Finally, we recruited 60 study participants for this study. Therefore, 49 study subjects completed pre-test, including 19 males (38.8%) and 30 females (31.2%). The results showed no significant differences among two groups in pre-test. After intervention program, the results of paired test showed 4 study variables had been improved in experimental group, including hip circumstance (t=2.76,p<.05), state anxiety (t=4.38,p<.001), trait anxiety (t=2.36,p<.05), and quality of life (t=2.53,p<.05). There was no significant improvement found in study variables for subjects in control group. However, there were 2 subjects in control group on set during this period. The results of post-test for two groups showed that 4 study variables were significant differences, including trait anxiety (t=2.68,p<.05), health promotion lifestyles (t=2.18,p<.05), environmental section of quality of life (t=2.14,p<.05), and total quality of life (t=3.10,p<.01).

Implication for nursing:

This study results can provide the short-term evidence of the outcomes during early finding and early prevention process in improving health for young adults at high-risk status of mental illness. The outcomes can provide evidence knowledge of health promotion lifestyle program in improving general physical and psychological health for young adults with high-risk status of mental illness.