Is Health Coaching Effective for Improving Metabolic Health in People With Psychosis Disorders?

Summary

Antipsychotic medications frequently cause metabolic side-effects, such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol abnormalities, and blood sugar dysregulation, all of which can lead to what is known as the Metabolic Syndrome and serious long-term cardiovascular health problems. Therefore, it is important that metabolic issues be addressed as part of a holistic approach to the mental health treatment of these patients.

As with the general population, improving metabolic health involves lifestyle changes - i.e., addressing daily habits regarding eating, physical exercise, stress and sleep management, and lifestyle habits such as smoking. However, there is growing recognition in the medical field that education is not enough for people to create meaningful and sustained lifestyle change. The emerging field of Integrative Health Coaching addresses this issue and provides a clinical framework for helping people successfully develop and achieve personalized lifestyle goals. The investigators have therefore decided to investigate whether health coaching techniques may have benefit in addressing metabolic health issues in people with psychosis disorders. The intent is to complement usual psychiatric and medical care, and also promote patient engagement in managing one's overall health.

This study will investigate whether Integrative Health Coaching is a useful clinical tool to facilitate healthy lifestyle behaviour and thereby improve metabolic health in people with psychosis disorders.

Conditions

• Psychotic Disorders
• Metabolic Syndrome x

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Health Coaching

Health Coaching sessions are 2 hours long. Participants individually receive a physical assessment, and recent blood work and medications are reviewed. When everyone has been assessed, the group reconvenes to watch a video about the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices, participates in a 10 min. fitness activity, and receives training on making SMART goals (SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely). Each participant individually creates a SMART goal for him/herself, and this goal is reviewed as a group. Each participant rates the importance of this goal, and rates their level of confidence in succeeding. Progress is tracked in subsequent sessions, and metabolic health is continually monitored through routine blood work.

BEHAVIORAL

Standard care

Standard clinical care will continue for all participants in the study, regardless of the study arm. This includes routine clinical visits to the attending psychiatrist, and receiving pharmacotherapy, standard patient education, and psychosocial training.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• University of British Columbia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Alasdair M Barr, Ph.D. · The University of British Columbia

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-01-31

Primary Completion

2016-09-30

Completion

2016-09-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations