Future research
’, unhealthy behaviors
RECRUITMENT
In a larger study, it could be relevant to conduct screening for unhealthy behaviors and to offer a lifestyle intervention only to patients with unhealthy behaviors. The findings that many patients did not log onto the platform, and that one-third opted to receive an MI session when offered, imply that there might also be a need to add more individualized and specific interventions for patients at risk for a specific unhealthy behavior. Such a change would align with current recommendations from the National Board of Health and Welfare, where ‘qualified counseling’ is the first-choice intervention and ‘simple advice’ is not prioritized (Socialstyrelsen, It would also be of interest to further explore the prevalence of unhealthy behaviors in a socioeconomically broader primary care population seeking help for mental health problems, to gain a more in-depth understanding of whether this group really could be considered at risk for unhealthy behaviors, as prior research has suggested. Central requirements for carrying on with a larger RCT could be that a) there should be sufficient pace of recruitment at the clinic, b) participants should complete baseline and follow-up questionnaires to a large extent (approximately 80%), c) therapists should perceive the treatment as suitable for the clinical context, and d) patients should, to an acceptable extent, adhere to treatment. These requirements have largely been fulfilled in this study and could warrant a larger study with a sample restricted to patients with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.