People with severe mental illness receive sub-standard physical care

July 11, 2005
by Angela Hussain

People diagnosed with a severe mental illness are receiving sub-standard levels of physical care, according to a report.

Poor physical care contributes towards a three times higher rate of premature death among those with severe mental problems, read the report

This group is at greater risk of physical illness, often due to their mental illness and lifestyle factors.

Among those contributing to the report - entitled Running On Empty - are mental health charities Rethink and Sane, and the Royal College of Nursing.

The report, released on June 28, urges professional to work in a "holistic" approach to treating mental health, with physical and lifestyle factors playing an important role.

Figures show that people diagnosed with severe mental illness have up to five times the risk of the general population of diabetes, and twice the risk of cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases.

Government guidance recommends that people being treated for severe mental health problems should undergo assessments of their physical health.

But the latest study found 89% claimed not to have had a record of their health history taken, and seven out of 10 said they had not been offered lifestyle management advice.

Paul Corry of the charity Rethink said: "The report reveals that those affected by serious mental illness are being neglected and offered an unacceptable level of care, despite being more at risk of some of the most common physical illnesses than the general population."

Read for yourself:
Running on Empty (pdf)

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