Improving lived experience and health outcomes for people with severe mental illness
Metabolic disorders are the fastest growing chronic health issue in the world, and they disproportionately affect people living with a serious mental illness
In an era where most of us can expect to live into our late 70s or even 80s, the life expectancy of people living with severe mental illness can be dramatically shorter. The average person with schizophrenia , for example, may die up to 10 years younger – their truncated lifespan the result of common and largely preventable illnesses, poorly treated because of their lifestyle and neglect by the community.
The Mental Health network is working to reduce this dreadful toll, through a ground-breaking integrated approach to caring for the physical health of severe mental health sufferers.
Foundation Director of the Boden Institute of Obesity Nutrition Exercise and Eating Disorders
Visit Profileof Ian CatersonccCHiP is a collaborative venture, partly funded by NSW Health and supported by the University of Sydney and Concord Hospital. Founded by Professor Tim Lambert, Dr Jeff Snars and Associate Professor Roger Chen in 2009, the clinic is an integrated screening for screening, detection, management and follow up of metabolic disorders among patients with service mental illness – and provides a model for a replicable, scalable clinical service.
We are currently working through SHP’s Mental Health Network to expand the model of care throughout the Partnership, with planning commenced to deliver workshops at NSLHD and WSLHD to expand local knowledge about the challenges of delivering cardiometabolic care in psychosis, and the benefits of the ccCHiP model of care.
The best way to get involved with the SHP Mental Health Network is to contact the network leads directly, or visit the ccCHIP website for more information on the program.
Researchers at Sydney Local Health District have been tackling the adverse health effects of sleep apnoea on people with severe mental illness by trialling a novel way of overcoming barriers to their treatment.
Read more of the post New Research to Help the Mentally Ill Rest Easy
Though relatively rare, this eating disorder has a mortality rate of about 5% per decade, escalating to 20% after 20 years’ duration of illness – the highest death rate of any mental illness. Effective treatment requires complex and sustained interventions by multiple medical disciplines and, even then, only about half of patients will achieve complete … Read more
Read more of the post Putting Anorexia Patients on the Path to Better Health
