Responsibility
The project is conducted by PhD student Annika Nordkamp under the supervision of Main Supervisor Professor Julie Midtgaard (CARMEN, Psychiatric Center Glostrup and Co-Supervisor Senior Consultant Grete Teilmann (Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents, Nordsjællands Hospital). Clinical Supervisors are Chief Nurse Laila Bøge Steinmeier Larsen and Department Head Consultant Lis Raabæk Olsen.
Background, Aim, and Methods
Adolescents with mental illness are particularly vulnerable to developing overweight. However, overweight is rarely addressed within the framework of child and adolescent psychiatry. Patients with overweight are typically referred to pediatric services, which appears insufficient for adolescents with co-occurring mental illness. There is limited knowledge about how best to support these doubly affected young people and their families. Nurses play a crucial role in promoting health among their patients, and the overall aim of AMIGO is to develop and evaluate a nurse-led intervention that supports health promotion in adolescents affected by both overweight and mental illness.
The project comprises four studies:
Study 1: A scoping review to explore current knowledge regarding nursing approaches to managing overweight in adolescents with mental illness. Study 2: A qualitative study to investigate the experiences and preferences of interventions targeting overweight among adolescents and their families who have experience with both overweight and mental illness. Study 3: Based on the findings from Studies 1 and 2, a workshop will be held with adolescents with mental illness and overweight, their families, nurses, and other relevant stakeholders to co-develop a health-promoting intervention. The intervention will be designed to be led by both pediatric and psychiatric nurses. Study 4: An evaluation of the intervention. Data will be collected through qualitative interviews with participants and nurses to assess perceptions and attitudes toward the intervention. This will be complemented by quantitative data on recruitment, retention, and patient satisfaction, depending on the results of Study 3.
Perspectives
Rooted in clinical practice, AMIGO invites patients, relatives, and nurses to co-create an intervention. This approach has the potential to generate recommendations aligned with the realities of clinical nursing practice. The project may lead to improved integration of psychiatric and somatic nursing for adolescents dealing with both overweight and mental illness.
Funding
The PhD project is funded by a PhD Scholarship in Nursing Research 2022 from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.