Enhancing Physical Health in Patients with Severe Mental Disorder: Addressing Physical Multimorbidity

TL;DR

People with severe mental disorders face earlier chronic physical illnesses, reducing their life expectancy, and require tailored treatment approaches.

Contribution

The study identifies a significant disparity in chronic physical multimorbidity among young individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Findings

Individuals with severe mental disorders have a 10-20 year reduced life expectancy due to chronic physical illnesses.

Younger individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have three times higher odds of chronic physical multimorbidity compared to the general population.

Abstract

Over the last two decades, a growing volume of research has discovered a correlation between severe mental disorders (SMD) and early mortality. This is attributed to the elevated incidence of chronic physical illnesses s and multimorbidity, resulting in a reduction of life expectancy by 10-20 years. Individuals with SMD exhibit lower rates of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for medical comorbidities when contrasted with the general population (GP).

The objective is to assess the prevalence of CPM and its impact on psychiatric treatment outcomes in individuals with SMD, and to propose preventive interventions to enhance physical health.

This nested cross-sectional study enrolled 343 SSD patients and 620 GEP.

Individuals diagnosed with SMD encounter CPM earlier in life compared to the GP. Notably, individuals under 35 years old within the schizophrenia spectrum disorder have almost three times higher odds for experiencing CPM compared to their GP counterparts, a difference that is both clinically and theoretically significant. This disparity is especially pronounced among younger women, with the gap widening the younger the patient is in comparison to peers in the general population. CPM has been identified as a factor affecting the outcomes of psychiatric treatment.

The treatment approach for SMD should be tailored to accommodate the diverse physical multimorbidity patterns of patients. It’s imperative for future research to delve into how CPM impacts the outcomes of SMD treatments. There’s a pressing need for detailed treatment guidelines addressing CPM in patients with SMD.

None Declared