Background: People living with a severe mental illness (SMI) are at greater risk of developing heart failure (HF) than the general population. Reasons for this are complex however antipsychotic medication, poor diet, sedentary behaviour, smoking, use of alcohol contribute to increased risk. At present little is known about the experience of people living with both of these illnesses. Aims: The aim of this study is to describe the experience of people with a SMI and HF. Specifically, to determine individuals’ understanding of their illnesses and the factors influencing their ability to manage their illnesses. Methods: The study was designed following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three participants provided their informed consent to participate in semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences of living with a SMI and HF. Interviews were transcribed and analysed in line with IPA methodology.Results: Three main themes were identified from the participants’ accounts. The first theme was focused on the experiences of becoming ill, trying to make sense of and coming to terms with their illnesses. The second theme was related to the changes and adjustments that were made as a result of being ill, such as lifestyle changes. The third theme identified the importance of others in supporting participants to manage their illnesses. The themes were inter-related by the emotions experienced by participants across all three themes.Applications: Participants’ accounts provided valuable insights into the complex nature of comorbidity, and highlighted implications for clinical practice, service provision and future research.
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Living with a severe mental illness and heart failure: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
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