The present study shows that patients and staff
in some cases share similar attitudes regarding
aspects of health promotion intervention.
According to both groups, empowerment is the
most important intervention in health promotion.
Significant differences between the
ratings of patients and staff appeared regarding
all subscales of HPIQ. Patients rated alliance
and educational support significantly higher
than staff and staff-rated empowerment and
practical support significantly higher than
patients. Alliance and empowerment could possibly
reflect two sides of the same issue because
staff may consider the concrete method or intervention
as more central while patients need to
experience the relationship as mutual and
warm as well as being regarded as an equal
person if health processes are to be promoted.
Furthermore empowerment approaches that
support a focus on patient’s needs and priorities
have crucial importance. Based on these findings,
it is of important to meet patients’ desire
for information and knowledge in an interactive
manner with an empowerment approach to
promote health in mental health services. The
present study did not address the family’s
perspective on health promotion. There is a
strong need for further research of the family’s
perspectives and roles in health promotion interventions
in mental health services. It would be
valuable to further investigate whether there are
associations between health promotion interventions
and specific mental illnesses, psychiatric
symptoms or functional levels. Longitudinal
studies are needed in order to investigate the
effects of health promotion intervention programs
regarding patients’ outcome.