Health Beliefs and Experiences of a Health Promotion Intervention Among Psychiatric Patients With Substance Use: An Interview Study

We aimed to explore beliefs about physical health from the perspective of patients with concurrent mental illness and substance use and to explore how a health promotion intervention influenced their personal agency for changing health-related behaviour. Our findings were that patients' beliefs were focused on their present day state of health and that patients had strategies to normalize their health and health-related behaviour. Health promotion to this group of patients should be tailored to fit their particular beliefs. Health measurements were experienced as providing tangible insight into their health and appeared to prevent patients from minimizing physical health problems.