An intervention to support weight change for people with serious mental illness: a single-arm feasibility and acceptability study
Obesity in individuals with serious mental illness
Participants will be referred to the NHS Digital Weight Management (DWMP), a 12-week online behavioural weight management programme routinely available within the NHS. In addition, participants will receive support from a primary care link worker. This consists of an initial "Meet Your Mentor" session (approximately 60 minutes) followed by up to 12 weekly "Mentor Check-In" sessions (approximately 30-minutes each). Link workers will provide practical and emotional support to facilitate enrolment in, and engagement with, the NHS DWMP. Participants will be followed for 14 weeks from baseline assessment.
Participants must meet the following study eligibility criteria: 1. Are adults aged ≥18 years 2. Have a clinically confirmed primary diagnosis of SMI, including schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (ICD F20-39) 3. Have a BMI of >30kg/m2 at baseline (adjusted to ≥27.5 for people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, in line with NICE guidance) 4. Have a clinically diagnosed condition of diabetes (type 1 or type 2), hypertension, or both 5. Have reliable access to the internet via a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer 6. Is registered with a GP practice that is open for recruitment 7. Is considered appropriate by the participant’s GP practice for enrolment in this study and referral to the NHS DWMP at the time of invitation
1. Previous bariatric surgery 2. Have a history of or a current clinically confirmed diagnosis of an eating disorder 3. People who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed 4. Have a clinically confirmed recent myocardial infarction or stroke in the past three months or uncontrolled cardiac conduction abnormalities (e.g., long QT syndrome, maculopathy or proliferative retinopathy) 5. Have a clinically confirmed significant life-limiting illness that would mean weight management is unlikely to improve health (severe cardiac failure, palliatively treated cancer, dementia) or a planned major surgery that would make enrolment in a weight management programme improbable 6. Taking part in other research that would compromise their participation in the study 7. Unable to understand spoken and written English, as the core NHS Digital Weight Management (DWMP) is delivered in English