A well-being programme in severe mental illness. Baseline findings in a UK cohort.
BACKGROUND
Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) have higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality than the general population. In the UK, data were limited regarding the known prevalence of physical health screening of SMI patients.


OBJECTIVE
A total of 966 patients with SMI from seven geographically varied regions in the UK agreed to participate in a 2-year nurse-led intervention (Well-being Support Programme), designed to improve their overall physical health by providing basic physical health checks, health promotion advice, weight management and physical activity groups in secondary care.


RESULTS
At baseline, only 31% of participants had undergone a recent physical health check. There were high rates of obesity (BMI > 30 in 49%), glucose abnormalities (12.4%), hypertension/prehypertension (50%), hyperlipidaemia (71%), poor diet (32%), low exercise levels (37.4%) and smoking (50%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with SMI where healthcare professionals have concerns regarding their physical health, have potentially modifiable risk factors for CVD, which remain undiagnosed. Programmes designed to address the physical health problems in SMI need to be implemented and evaluated in this already marginalised group of people.
Smith
S
S
Institute of Psychiatry, Camberwell, London, UK. s.smith@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Yeomans
D
D
Bushe
C J P
CJ
Eriksson
C
C
Harrison
T
T
Holmes
R
R
Mynors-Wallis
L
L
Oatway
H
H
Sullivan
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D006113:United Kingdom
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids