TY - JOUR
AU - S . Y. Lee
AU - M. Guillen
AU - R. Lantini
AU - M. H. Bublitz
AU - C. E. Ventetuolo
AU - K. M. Guthrie
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: There is a strong need for integrated behavioral health (IBH) services in clinics that serve patients with chronic illness who experience high co-occurring mental and physical health burdens. However, the specific needs of patients with pulmonary diseases and sleep disorders, whose mental and physical health are significantly affected by these conditions, are not well characterized. We conducted a needs assessment in an outpatient practice serving patients with pulmonary diseases and/or sleep disorders, that recently began providing IBH services. Our goal was to broadly characterize the physical and mental health needs of these patients, as well as explore differences by medical condition, sex, and level of functioning. METHODS: Among the 260 patients who participated in our online survey (51% female, 77% age 51 or older), 38% had sleep disorders, 26% airway diseases, 6% interstitial lung diseases/diffuse parenchymal lung diseases, 6% pulmonary vascular diseases, and 24% other pulmonary diseases (e.g., lung cancer). RESULTS: Patients with airway diseases and patients with sleep disorders emerged as two groups with significant physical and mental health burdens based on ANOVAs. T-tests showed that female patients reported worse mental and physical health functioning compared to male patients. ANOVAs also showed that patients with limited physical ability had lower physical, mental, and pulmonary health functioning, as well as greater patient care needs, compared to patients who were symptom-free. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the potential need for and promise of integrating behavioral health services within clinics serving patients with pulmonary and sleep conditions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-026-14011-5.; Our needs assessment shows how pulmonary disease and sleep disorder patients bear a significant burden of physical and mental health-related needs, and how specific concerns relate to their particular condition, sex, and functional status. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-026-14011-5.; eng
AD - Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. sharon_y_lee@brown.edu.; Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI, USA. sharon_y_lee@brown.edu.; Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI, USA.; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.; Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.; Lifespan Physicians Group, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. corey_ventetuolo@brown.edu.
AN - 41654808
BT - BMC Health Serv Res
C5 - Education & Workforce
CP - 1
DA - Feb 7
DO - 10.1186/s12913-026-14011-5
DP - NLM
ET - 20260207
IS - 1
JF - BMC Health Serv Res
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: There is a strong need for integrated behavioral health (IBH) services in clinics that serve patients with chronic illness who experience high co-occurring mental and physical health burdens. However, the specific needs of patients with pulmonary diseases and sleep disorders, whose mental and physical health are significantly affected by these conditions, are not well characterized. We conducted a needs assessment in an outpatient practice serving patients with pulmonary diseases and/or sleep disorders, that recently began providing IBH services. Our goal was to broadly characterize the physical and mental health needs of these patients, as well as explore differences by medical condition, sex, and level of functioning. METHODS: Among the 260 patients who participated in our online survey (51% female, 77% age 51 or older), 38% had sleep disorders, 26% airway diseases, 6% interstitial lung diseases/diffuse parenchymal lung diseases, 6% pulmonary vascular diseases, and 24% other pulmonary diseases (e.g., lung cancer). RESULTS: Patients with airway diseases and patients with sleep disorders emerged as two groups with significant physical and mental health burdens based on ANOVAs. T-tests showed that female patients reported worse mental and physical health functioning compared to male patients. ANOVAs also showed that patients with limited physical ability had lower physical, mental, and pulmonary health functioning, as well as greater patient care needs, compared to patients who were symptom-free. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the potential need for and promise of integrating behavioral health services within clinics serving patients with pulmonary and sleep conditions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-026-14011-5.; Our needs assessment shows how pulmonary disease and sleep disorder patients bear a significant burden of physical and mental health-related needs, and how specific concerns relate to their particular condition, sex, and functional status. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-026-14011-5.; eng
PY - 2026
SN - 1472-6963
ST - Integrating behavioral health into pulmonary medicine: a call to action
T1 - Integrating behavioral health into pulmonary medicine: a call to action
T2 - BMC Health Serv Res
TI - Integrating behavioral health into pulmonary medicine: a call to action
U1 - Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.1186/s12913-026-14011-5
VL - 26
VO - 1472-6963
Y1 - 2026
ER -