Loading...
Colocating an accredited practising dietitian to an adult community mental health service: An exploratory study
Furness, Trentham Wallace, Elizabeth McElhinney, Jo McKenna, Brian Cuzzillo, Celeste Foster, Kim
Furness, Trentham
Wallace, Elizabeth
McElhinney, Jo
McKenna, Brian
Cuzzillo, Celeste
Foster, Kim
Abstract
For people with severe mental illness, accredited practising dietitians may assist with a nutrition care plan that considers the medical, psychiatric, psychological, social, spiritual, and pharmacological aspects of their care. However, consumers’ access to care has been limited by difficulties attending appointments and suboptimal interface between nutritional and mental health services. Therefore, the objectives of this exploratory study were to describe access to, and key stakeholder perspectives of, the accredited practising dietitian role colocated in a community mental health service. A total of 16 key stakeholders participated in one‐to‐one interviews. Two main themes with subthemes were derived from analysis of interviews: (i) ‘building empowerment and collaboration’ and included the subthemes, (a) nutrition awareness and education and (b) healthy lifestyle changes, and (ii) ‘overcoming challenges to optimal nutrition and effective health care’. In addition, improved access to the role was demonstrated with 124 (79%) consumers attending at least one appointment with an accredited practising dietitian. A total of 15 (12%) consumers attended more than 10 appointments during their outpatient admission to the community mental health service. Colocating an accredited practising dietitian was perceived to build empowerment and collaboration, and overcome challenges to optimal nutrition and effective health care for consumers, carers, and clinicians. The colocation of a dietitian can empower consumers’ to make health‐informed decisions and support their willingness to engage with physical healthcare provision when it is prioritized alongside mental healthcare provision.
Keywords
allied health personnel, community mental health centre, dietetics, health care, severe mental illness
Date
2018
Type
Journal article
Journal
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
Book
Volume
27
Issue
6
Page Range
1709-1718
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education (ILSTE)
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Health Sciences
Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education (ILSTE)
Faculty of Education and Arts
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled