# Testing Bridges to Better Health and Wellness for People Living with Serious Mental Illness in Puerto Rico

> **NIH NIH U54** · PONCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $472,378

## Abstract

Project Summary
People with serious mental illness (PSMI, e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) die on average 20 years
earlier than the general population mostly due to preventable chronic diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, obesity). Latinxs simultaneously account for higher rates of serious mental illness (SMI) and
chronic diseases compared to non-Latinx whites. Puerto Ricans are United States (US)-born citizens with one
of the highest rates of SMI and chronic disease risk and mortality among Latinxs in the US. These disparities
have been further aggravated after the healthcare system collapse in the aftermath of Hurricane María, the
2020 earthquakes in the Southwest region of Puerto Rico (PR) and the COVID-19 pandemic. Early
interventions on physical health parameters are urgently needed to reduce morbidity and premature mortality
among PSMI. Primary care physicians play a key role in these efforts.24 However, as the team has
demonstrated in their previous research in Puerto Rico, provider stigma towards SMI hinders prevention
efforts. Healthcare manager interventions (HMI) can be helpful to address these identified barriers and
support the use of existing services more efficiently by improving care coordination, patient activation and
chronic disease prevention. Despite its effectiveness, few HMI interventions are available for Latinxs with
SMI. As part of PHSU’s RCMI U54 renewal application (RFA- MD-22-002), the proposed Behavioral Project
aims to test Bridges to Better Health and Wellness (BRIDGES), developed by Dr. Cabassa (Co-I) 37 and
adapted by Dr. Rivera-Segarra (PI) at PHSU with RCMI support. BRIDGES is the only culturally adapted
Multilevel HMI for Latinxs with SMI. However, although culturally adapted, the effectiveness of BRIDGES
compared to treatment as usual group (TAU) in PR has not yet been examined. The proposed study aims to
address this important public health gap by deploying a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation
randomized controlled trial, useful for promising interventions for which effectiveness and implementation
have not been tested throughout (such as BRIDGES). In light of thus, the aims of this study are: 1) Test the
effectiveness of BRIDGES vs Treatment as Usual (TAU) and 2) Examine the implementation and public
health impact of BRIDGES.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10797611
- **Project number:** 2U54MD007579-39
- **Recipient organization:** PONCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Eliut Rivera-Segarra
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $472,378
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1997-08-25 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10797611

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10797611, Testing Bridges to Better Health and Wellness for People Living with Serious Mental Illness in Puerto Rico (2U54MD007579-39). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10797611. Licensed CC0.

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