Improving heart health for people with serious mental illness in community mental health clinics
Official title: Reducing disparities in cardiovascular health in community mental health settings: optimizing implementation strategies
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11187063 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will bring proven heart‑health programs into mental health clinics to help people with serious mental illness manage blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,221,360 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3HL154280-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187063 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with serious mental illness who receive care at community behavioral health clinics and have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or who smoke are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without serious mental illness or those not connected to participating mental health clinics are unlikely to be included or benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This project works with community mental health clinics (behavioral health homes) to bring proven heart‑health programs into regular care and tailor them for people with serious mental illness and cognitive challenges. Researchers will work with clinics to try different ways to help providers adopt two programs called IDEAL and Life Goals so patients can get blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking support where they already receive mental health care. An early phase will refine the best approaches and a later phase will expand them across multiple clinics to reach more people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help people with serious mental illness get effective heart‑risk care in their mental health clinics and reduce heart disease and premature death.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior programs (IDEAL and Life Goals) have reduced cardiovascular risk in people with serious mental illness, though behavioral health homes have improved access without consistently improving risk factors until now.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Daumit, Gail L. — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Daumit, Gail L.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Reducing heart disease gaps for people with serious mental illness in community clinics
A program at Johns Hopkins aims to help people with serious mental illness lower their risk of heart disease by adapting proven approaches for real-world community mental health settings.
-
Improving heart health for people with serious mental illness
This study is looking to improve heart health for people with serious mental illness by finding better ways to connect mental health and regular doctor visits, so they can get the care they need to manage their heart disease risks.
-
An integrated mobile health program to reduce SAVA and mental health problems among female sex workers in Kenya
A new mobile health program aims to help female sex workers in Kenya avoid substance abuse, violence, HIV, and depression by delivering group therapy, online resources, and a peer discussion space.
-
Adolescent girls in Uganda: a long-term look at how money empowerment and family support affect HIV prevention, care, and mental health
A long-term study in rural Uganda will test whether an intervention that combines economic empowerment and family strengthening can help HIV-negative and HIV-affected adolescent girls move safely into young adulthood.
-
Long-term HIV prevention and mental health support for adolescent girls and young women in Uganda
A long-term program in rural Uganda tests if combining economic support and family strengthening helps teenage girls stay HIV-free and improve mental health as they grow into young adults.
-
Johns Hopkins Total Worker Health Center focusing on mental health
A nationwide center at Johns Hopkins is working to improve mental health and well-being among workers by studying workplace health strategies and translating findings into practical tools.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.