The Live Well intervention: Promoting healthy lifestyles during routine older people’s mental healthcare

Abstract

Objective Lifestyle is an important determinant of health. The Live Well intervention allows mental health clinicians to address lifestyle during routine mental health encounters. Method Clinicians were taught how to encourage consumers to learn more about lifestyle and health; consider their own lifestyle and health using a self-rated health and wellness questionnaire (HAWQ) and helped them decide which out of six health domains (physical, mental and social activity, healthy eating, mental wellbeing and positive thinking) should be improved in small, sustainable steps using a SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed) goal-setting template. Results Out of 65 enrolled consumers, 52 completed pre-intervention, 6-week and 12-week post-assessment assessments. There were improvements in all self-rated health domains except for heathy eating. At 12-week, consumers also recorded significant satisfaction with the Live Well program, goal achievement and wellbeing. Clinicians’ feedback was positive about using this intervention with their consumers. Conclusions Live Well is a feasible and effective way to engage consumers on positive lifestyle changes in routine mental health care encounters.