Early deaths more likely for those with mental health conditions

The findings by the Open Public Services Network, funded by the Cabinet Office and in partnership with Mind, said the physical health needs of people with mental health problems were not being addressed by GPs.

The reprot said "although suicide does count for a significant proportion of these deaths, an estimated 60-70% of excess mortality among people with mental illness is due to physical ill health." 

The report said that physical and mental illness often "coexist in an interdependent relationship, each having a great impact on the other."

Some 30% of people with a long-term condition have a mental health problem and 46% of people with a mental health problem have a long-term condition, the report said.

People with mental health disorders were also found to have higher rates of respiratory, cardiovascular and infectious diseases, obesity, abnormal lipid levels and diabetes.

They are nearly four times more likely than the general population to die from diseases of the respiratory system, more than four times more likely to die from diseases of the digestive system, and twice as likely to die from diseases of the circulatory system.

The report also tracked mental health inequalities across the UK, finding that those with mental health conditions living in areas of the South West experienced a greater difference in the rates of referral for physical tests, including high cholesterol and diabetes

In the UK, one in four adults experience mental health problems in their lifetime, with one in six experiencing a diagnosable mental health problem in any one year.

This report echoes similar findings from a briefing released last week by the King's Fund, which found ‘huge pressures' on mental health services and funding.

The King's Fund highlighted that only 14% of patients said they received appropriate care in a crisis, and there has been an increase in the number of patients who report a poor experience of community mental health care.