Integrating behavioral healthcare for individuals with serious mental illness: A randomized controlled trial of a peer health navigator intervention

Abstract Objective Individuals with serious mental illness also have high rates of comorbid physical health issues. To address those issues, this population needs interventions that improve self-management of health and healthcare. Methods In order to improve the health and healthcare of individuals with serious mental illnesses, 151 consumers with serious mental illness were randomized to receive either usual mental healthcare plus the Bridge intervention ( n = 76) or usual mental healthcare while on a 6 month waitlist ( n = 75). The waitlist group received the intervention after the waitlist period. Results Change score comparisons (difference of differences) of the treatment vs the waitlist groups revealed that the treated group showed significantly greater improvement in access and use of primary care health services, higher quality of the consumer-physician relationship, decreased preference for emergency, urgent care, or avoiding health services and increased preference for primary care clinics, improved detection of chronic health conditions, reductions in pain, and increased confidence in consumer self-management of healthcare. Conclusions Peer providers using a manualized intervention can be an important part of the efforts to address the general medical care of individuals with serious mental illnesses.