Mental health professionals’ perceptions on health promotion needs among people with severe mental health disorders through the co-production approach

People who suffer from severe mental health disorders are also at high risk of developing other serious health problems. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors combined with low self-care and low health literacy among people with severe mental health disorders highlight the need to design health promotion interventions in this population group. A qualitative study was carried out with the aim of investigating the perceptions among mental health professionals on the health promotion needs of people with severe mental health disorders through the co-production approach. Two focus groups were conducted with 20 mental health professionals working in mental health community settings in Attica, Greece. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Regarding health promotion needs, four major themes emerged: 1) psycho-education, 2) self-care skills, 3) institutional interventions, and 4) experiential education. Concerning co-production in health promotion, three main themes emerged: 1) participatory process, 2) services evaluation, and 3) co-production training. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the perceptions of mental health professionals and can be taken into account in contributing to the design and implementation of health promotion programs for people with severe mental health disorders.