title: Poor health behaviour and reduced quality of life of people treated with psychotropic drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent literature reports a reduced l\ife expectancy in patients with severe mental illness. We have investigated health behaviour, quality of life, and sociodemographic variables of people with psychopharmacological treatment using data from the most recent Austrian Health Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quality of life (the World Health Organization quality of life, abbreviated version) questionnaires and items from the European Health Interview Survey were used in assessing health status and health behaviour of 15,474 people living in Austria. From this sample, 882 individuals (5.7%) under psychopharmacological treatment were compared with respondents without mental illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant differences in health behaviour (reduced physical activity, more smoking) and sociodemographic data (age, gender, education, income) between people treated for mental illness and respondents without psychopharmacological treatment. Correspondingly, more somatic illness and reduced quality of life were found in the former group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data stress the necessity of health intervention and antipoverty programmes taking social and somatic issues for people with moderate mental health problems into account.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. Martin.Kopp@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: W Wolfgang
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Fleischhacker
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stürz
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruedl
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumnig
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rumpold
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs