title: Quality of physical health care among patients with personality disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the assessment and treatment of physical health in patients with personality disorder and compare this to the care received in schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data from a random sample of 246 patients with personality disorder on monitoring and intervention for seven key aspects of physical health. We compared the results with those from a random sample with schizophrenia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our sample, 160 (65%) people had the diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder. In total, 104 (42.3%) people with personality disorder were being prescribed antipsychotic medication; 23 (9.3%) participants had all seven aspects of physical health recorded. Alcohol was most frequently recorded (76%); BMI (38.6%), blood glucose (25.2%) and blood cholesterol (20.7%) were less likely to be recorded. Interventions were not given to all those requiring them. Compared to people with schizophrenia, a lower proportion had evidence of assessment of smoking, illicit drug use, blood glucose and blood lipid levels. Smoking cessation advice was more likely to be offered to people with schizophrenia (difference = 29.4%, 95% CI = 12.5 to 44.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical health is under-assessed and under-treated in patients with personality disorder. Medical staff must do more to help tackle increased morbidity among this group.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rahil
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanatinia
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sophie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.affiliation: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Tint
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: West London Mental Health Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Mike J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Crawford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Antipsychotic(s); Personality disorder(s); Physical health