Comparing perspectives on community mental health center-based integrated care for serious mental illness across age groups.

INTRODUCTION

People with serious mental illness (SMI) experience health disparities that contribute to reduced life expectancy. Integration of physical and community mental health clinic (CMHC) care is one strategy to improve access to health care that may address health disparities, but the appeal and impact of CMHC-based integrated care has not been widely studied in young adults with SMI, for whom early intervention may be beneficial.

METHODS

This qualitative study evaluated perceptions of care among 36 individuals with SMI engaged in integrated care at 3 CMHCs. Researchers conducted focus groups and used open coding analyses of group transcripts to identify themes among younger and middle-aged/older adults with SMI.

RESULTS

Similar themes emerged among younger (n = 16; mean age 28.4 ± 3.3 years) and middle-aged/older (n = 20; mean age 50.4 ± 8.7 years) adults. One notable theme was a high level of unmet health needs prior to integrated care due to complex physical health problems and feeling stigmatized by physical health care providers. Themes regarding integrated care included the benefits of colocation, awareness of improved communication among providers, and perceiving integrated primary care providers as respectful and thorough. Participants expressed desire for reduced staff turnover. Desire for increased medical record sharing and communication with specialists emerged solely among the middle-aged/older adults.

DISCUSSION: Themes regarding CMHC-based integrated care were mostly positive and similar among younger and middle-aged/older participants with SMI. These results indicate that integrated care could be an acceptable strategy to provide young adults with SMI critical early intervention to address health disparities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).