Using photovoice to understand and improve healthy lifestyles of people diagnosed with serious mental illness.
Amanda J Edmondson, Rachel Borthwick, Elizabeth Hughes and 1 others
PMID 35986721WHAT IT FOUND
People with serious mental illness prioritise mental stability over physical health, viewing them as inseparable.
Barriers like medication side effects, fatigue, and financial constraints create a vicious cycle that hinders healthy choices. Support, meaningful activities, and specific places help break this cycle.
Key findings
01Participants viewed mental and physical health as inseparable, with mental well-being being the primary motivation for lifestyle changes.
02Medication side effects such as weight gain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance interact with financial constraints and social isolation to create barriers to healthy behaviours.
03Facilitators for healthy lifestyles included engaging in personally meaningful activities, visiting specific places that promote relaxation, and receiving direct support from nurses or peers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=8) and recruited via case managers, which may have introduced selection bias. The use of photography may have attracted participants already interested in visual methods or less severely impaired. Findings are from a specific community mental health team in England and may not generalise to other settings or populations.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these themes as evidence that Photovoice or specific interventions improve health outcomes. The study describes participants' perceptions and barriers; it did not test whether addressing these factors leads to measurable physical or mental health improvements.