Serious Mental Illness

How it works

Risks & contraindications

Highlighted claims

• People with SMI die 15–20 years earlier than the general population, a gap known as the mortality gap, with cardiovascular disease as a leading contributor. — Bridging the gap in the UK’s National Health Service integrated care systems: insights from a mixed methods implementation evaluation of UCLP-PRIMROSE, a care innovation to reduce physical health inequalities for people with severe mental illness
• In 2023, the UK Office for Health Improvement and Disparities reported a substantial excess of deaths in people with SMI, identifying CVD and diabetes among the causes. — Bridging the gap in the UK’s National Health Service integrated care systems: insights from a mixed methods implementation evaluation of UCLP-PRIMROSE, a care innovation to reduce physical health inequalities for people with severe mental illness
• People with SMI have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease, and lower life expectancy. — Comparing perspectives of volunteers and patients on the Health Champions intervention in secondary mental healthcare: a qualitative study
• Social isolation, a common feature of SMI, compounds difficulties in managing physical health. — Comparing perspectives of volunteers and patients on the Health Champions intervention in secondary mental healthcare: a qualitative study
• People with serious mental illness face significantly worse physical health outcomes than the general population. — Comparing perspectives of volunteers and patients on the Health Champions intervention in secondary mental healthcare: a qualitative study
• Despite UK policy directives and incentivised annual health checks, people with SMI remain less likely to receive needed care for long-term physical health conditions. — Bridging the gap in the UK’s National Health Service integrated care systems: insights from a mixed methods implementation evaluation of UCLP-PRIMROSE, a care innovation to reduce physical health inequalities for people with severe mental illness
• Adverse effects of antipsychotic medications and reduced access to preventive care are among the multiple factors driving the physical health disparity in SMI. — Bridging the gap in the UK’s National Health Service integrated care systems: insights from a mixed methods implementation evaluation of UCLP-PRIMROSE, a care innovation to reduce physical health inequalities for people with severe mental illness
• Poor mental health, such as depressive episodes, can interfere with patients' consistent engagement with a volunteer programme. — Comparing perspectives of volunteers and patients on the Health Champions intervention in secondary mental healthcare: a qualitative study
• Practices already struggling with routine workload are least able to adopt complex innovations for patients with complex needs, creating an equity risk where implementation stays confined to well-performing practices. — Bridging the gap in the UK’s National Health Service integrated care systems: insights from a mixed methods implementation evaluation of UCLP-PRIMROSE, a care innovation to reduce physical health inequalities for people with severe mental illness