Physical Health of Residents in Psychiatric Institutions

Physical Health Clinical Trial

Official title:

Physical Health of Residents in Psychiatric Institutions

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00969384
• Other study ID #: 3,3 270809
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• First received: August 31, 2009
• Last updated: August 31, 2009
• Start date: February 2009

Study information

• Verified date: August 2009
• Source: Aarhus University Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Denmark: Ethics Committee
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Aim of the study: To investigate if the intervention described in this protocol has an effect on patients' and staff's physical health.

Null hypothesis: There is no difference in waist circumference, body weight, quality of life and the rate of polypharmacy between the intervention and control groups after six months.

Description:

Background:

The prevalence of physical health problems among patients suffering from psychiatric illnesses is above that seen in the average population (1). Cardiovascular diseases (2) and metabolic disorders (3;4) are common in persons diagnosed with schizophrenia (5;6). A fact that has been known for many years (7), and there has been no decrease in the prevalence of physical illness in connection with the decentralization of the psychiatric treatment which has taken place in the Western world during the last 30-40 years (8).

Meta-analyses describe increased physical morbidity among patients with psychiatric diseases and increased mortality on account of somatic diseases (7). One of the reasons for the increased mortality could be the use of second generation antipsychotics that in some cases cause weight gain and metabolic syndrome which is associated with a two to threefold increase in cardiovascular mortality and a twofold increase in all-cause mortality (3;9). These effects would be expected to contribute to even higher mortality in the following years (10).

The use of more than one antipsychotic drug, polypharmacy, might also play a role (11;12). Psychiatric societies, national and international health authorities advise against the use of polypharmacy (13).

The quality of the general health care in patients with severe mental illness and the consensus about the prevention of somatic illness in this group of vulnerable patients need to be improved and there is evidence signifying the importance of the situation (14;15).

We need more knowledge about how to integrate the prevention and care of somatic illness to this group of patients with severe psychiatric illness.

This study investigates ways to improve the physical health of people with a psychiatric diagnosis.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 350
• Est. primary completion date: August 2009
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Living in one of the 6 institutions in Region Nordjylland

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not capable of speaking Danish

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Prevention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Physical Health

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Active awareness/Lifestyle counseling
Intervention (active awareness): In the intervention institutions, a detailed feedback of all index measures will be distributed to the patients and the staff. The project leader and a medical specialist in psychiatry will advise on medical aspects and health promotion. In connection with this feedback, guidance on psycho-pharmacological treatment will be provided.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Denmark	Enheden for psykiatrisk forskning	Aalborg

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Aarhus University Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Denmark, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	waist circumferences		9 months	Yes