Physical Health
People with severe mental illness are at higher risk of some physical health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and stroke.
Which physical health problems are associated with mental illness?
Research carried out for the Disability Rights Commission in 2006 confirmed that people with severe mental illness are at higher risk of certain physical health conditions :
The research found that:
- 33% of people with schizophrenia and 30% of people with bipolar disorder are clinically obese (overweight), compared to 21% of the rest of the population.
- Coronary heart disease is more common in people with schizophrenia (4%) and bipolar disorder (5%) than in the rest of the population (3%).
- Diabetes is more common in people with schizophrenia (6%) and bipolar disorder (4%) than in the rest of the population (2%).
People with mental illness are also at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, stroke, respiratory problems and bowel and breast cancer.
The reasons for these higher risks are complex – possibly resulting from genetic factors, lifestyle and side effects from medications.
The consequence is that people with long-term mental health problems on average die 5 to 10 years younger than other people, often from preventable illnesses.
People who suffer from severe mental illness are entitled to annual physical health
Diabetes
Some of the newer antipsychotics, can lead to significant weight gain, which could in turn lead to diabetes . However, it is possible that there is some genetic relationship between severe mental illness and diabetes that has nothing to do with medication. This is supported by evidence that there is higher incidence of diabetes in the family of a person with schizophrenia . Research also shows that social factors that may be associated with schizophrenia (such as low income or poor diet) are also factors associated with diabetes .
Medication
If you are taking medication for a mental health problem, it is important that you know what health risks are associated with it. Being informed in this way could help you feel better able to look out for warning signs and lower the risk to your health. If you are concerned about your medication in relation to your physical health, please speak to your prescribing doctor to discuss your options.
The information in this section comes from the National Information and Advice Service's Physical Health and Nutrition Factsheet which can be found at Rethink's Mental Health Shop
Read more about physical health from the work Rethink's research team has done on the Physical health of people with mental health problems and Physical health check
