Development and evaluation of a health promotion group for individuals with severe psychiatric disabilities.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: A six-step program development and evaluation method integrating recovery principles of empowerment and choice in healthcare decisions with theory driven research from the fields of health promotion and psychiatric rehabilitation is presented. METHODS: A pilot wellness program that taught basic nutrition, exercise, and stress management skills to individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia demonstrates how to complete each step. Pre-post pilot data are analyzed using paired-sample t tests. RESULTS: Nine people diagnosed with schizophrenia participated in the pilot program. Despite a small sample size and limited statistical power, a paired-sample t test suggested that the program appeared to increase participants' self-efficacy for health practices (p<.05), specifically in the domains of psychological well-being (p<.01) and health responsibility (p<.05), while decreasing their perceptions of the overall amount of stress in their life (p<.01). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment providers are encouraged to use the six-step method to create programs that successfully blend empirical research methodology with consumer-centered participation.