Call for physical care to be part of mental health care
Primary care is the best place to deliver these 'underutilised services'
People with mental illness are up to twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease, obesity or diabetes than the general population, according to analysis of 100 systematic reviews.
In a Lancet Psychiatry commission, Dr Joseph Firth (PhD) from Western Sydney University and colleagues identified cardiometabolic disease as having profound effects on patient wellbeing, morbidity and mortality across the spectrum of mental disorders.
Dr Firth said early intervention was needed to prevent chronic conditions affecting people with mental illness across their lifespan.
The commission recommended better integration of physical and mental health care in primary care.
