Biography
Dr Paul Andrew Bourne is a multi-talented individual with expertise in social epidemiology, health demography, applied statistics, leadership, and public affairs commentary. He has published over 300 scholarly papers, including a study on domestic violence against Jamaican women during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is hosted on the World Health Organisation website. In 2019, he received recognition for an outstanding poster presentation at the Ministry of Health and Wellness Annual National Health Research Conference. Dr Bourne is a member of prestigious organisations, including the SAS Eminent Fellow Membership, the Scholars Academic and Scientific Society, and the Jamaica Statistical Society. Currently, he is an assistant professor at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean and an adjunct professor at the Northern Caribbean University
Abstract
Tittle: Mental Health and Non-Communicable Disease Management in Jamaica: A Quantitative Inquiry of Psychosocial Well-Being, Health Behaviours, and Patient Outcomes
Abstract:
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) constitute a major public health challenge in Jamaica, where biomedical approaches frequently overlook psychosocial determinants of disease management. This study addresses the limited quantitative evidence concerning whether psychological well-being moderates relationships between health behaviours and patient outcomes.
Objective: To examine associations among psychosocial well-being, health-promoting behaviours, and self-reported NCD outcomes, while assessing the moderating influence of psychological well-being.
Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study examined 312 patients attending urban and rural Jamaican healthcare facilities. Participants were predominantly female (58%), with a mean age of 54.6 years. Validated instruments assessed psychological distress, perceived social support, health behaviours, and patient outcomes. Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted using 5,000 bootstrap resamples.
Results: Health behaviours significantly predicted patient outcomes (β = 0.41, p < 0.001), alongside psychosocial well-being (β = 0.34, p < 0.001) and socioeconomic status (β = 0.15, p = 0.003). The regression model explained 40% of outcome variance (R² = 0.40). Psychological well-being significantly moderated the behaviour–outcome relationship (β = 0.18, p = 0.020), increasing explained variance to 43%. Behavioural associations were stronger among participants reporting higher well-being (B = 0.55) than lower well-being (B = 0.29).
Conclusion: Psychosocial well-being independently predicts patient outcomes and strengthens associations between health-promoting behaviours and perceived disease management. These findings address an important Jamaican research gap and support integrating psychological screening, counselling, and culturally responsive psychosocial interventions into routine NCD care to improve patient-centred management.
Keywords: mental health, noncommunicable disease, psychological well-being
