Integrating Physical Health Care In Serious Mental Illness

An InTimeTV (www.intimetv.com) Insights in Medicine interview with Dr. Peter Weiden (Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Psychotic Disorders Program at the University of Illinois - Chicago). We had a wide-ranging discussion on the importance of and challenges in managing the medical problems of patients with severe mental illness.

A recent CDC study showed that patients with severe mental illness die 25 years earlier (from general medical causes) than comparable patients without mental illness. As the psychiatric treatments have improved and while suicide still remains a cause of death for these patients, the general medical care for this population is taking on even greater, urgent importance.

We discussed a number of topics including: * Risks factors (patient related and societal) exacerbating medical illnesses in patients with serious mental illness * Access to medical care for patients with mental illness * Issues about quality of care for patients with medical illness * Medical implications -- primary care doctors can save lives

Some important takeaways were: * The importance of greater communication between primary care doctors and psychiatrists. * The need for primary care physicians not to make assumptions about the medical care of their patients who may have concomitant medical illness and to make sure "the basics" are covered.

For the full video see:

mms://68.251.204.5/video/intimetv/iim004.wmv

And it's free with lots more interesting content at www.intimetv.com

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• Weiden
• Ogan
• Gurel
• serious
• mental
• illness
• psychosis
• depression
• physical
• medical
• primary
• care
• disparity

[angelfiremimosa]

Antipsychotics can cause metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease. Many clients smoke cigarettes (estimated 70% compared to 20% gen population) this can lead to chronic lung and heart conditions, and dental problems.

There is work happening around this field to implement change.

[angelfiremimosa]

there are reports in UK and Australia (MAC report) that support that people with serious mental illness do live on average 25 years less. This is because of diagnostic overshadowing, which is when clinicians overlook the physical health over the mental health. People live less because they don't access GPs for their physical health concerns as readily as others. Medication (antipsychotics) and sedentary lifestyles (due to the negative symptoms of schizophrenia for example or depression)

[nicesocialgirl]

the person control's them self.

[winstono75]

Those are just statistics. If YOU have a psychiatric diagnosis, it doesn't mean that YOU are going to live 25 years shorter.