Health Promotion Intervention in Mental Health Services

The aim of this thesis was to define and develop the concept of health promotion in mental health services as well as to develop a questionnaire to measure patients? subjective experiences of health promotion intervention in mental health services. The samples consisted of 12 patients in study I and 12 nurses in study II as well as 135 patients in mental health services in study III and IV. Data were collected in open-ended interviews as well as from questionnaires such as the Health Promotion Intervention Questionnaire (HPIQ), the Helping Alliance (HAS), the Client satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), the Making Decisions Scale and the HSCL-25. Qualitative analysis and statistical methods were used when analysing the data. The thesis started with two qualitative studies that focused on how health processes are promoted in mental health nursing. The first study showed that the patients? health is promoted through interaction, attention, development and dignity. The second study showed that nurses promote health through their presence, and the balance of power and health focus in their nursing activities. Based on these findings the third and fourth study focused on the development of a reliable and valid intrument, the Health Promotion Intervention Questionnaire (HPIQ). The analyses in study III resulted in a scale containing 19 items derived from 4 factors: alliance, empowerment, educational support and practical support. The findings from study IV showed that overall perceived health promoting interventions were positively correlated to helping alliance, client satisfaction with care and empowerment. The strongest relationship was found between perceived health promotion intervention and helping alliance. The results of this thesis contribute a new understanding of health promotion in mental health services