The overarching aim of HELPS is to improve the physical health status of residents with mental disorders, mental disability or dependency living in social and healthcare institutions. HELPS will develop and implement a physical health intervention tool to be used in such institutions as a major step towards protecting human rights and the dignity of residents living in social and healthcare institutions.

Residents in health and social care institutions for people with mental health problems have a poor physical health status resulting in reduced life expectancy. This is incompatible with the protection of human rights and dignity. There are no specific policies to improve the health status of residents in such care institutions.

HELPS will bring together a multidisciplinary consortium to gather relevant knowledge in the field and identify best practice across Europe. Systematic literature reviews, Delphi processes and focus groups with experts, staff and residents will be applied to develop a tool to promote the health status of residents with mental ill-health, mental disability and substance misuse.

The aim is to create a health promoting tool that will empower residents and staff to identify the most relevant risk factors in their specific context and subsequently select the most appropriate action out of a range of defined health promoting interventions. The tool should be available in the majority of European languages
and widely acceptable and able to impact on policy and practice.