News from the NIH: improving health and reducing premature mortality in people with serious mental illnesses

Abstract

People with serious mental illness1 (SMI), also sometimes referred to as “severe mental illness,” die from the same causes as those in the general population, e.g., heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and pulmonary disease. However, these diseases are more common in people with SMI and lead to earlier death. For example, adults with psychotic disorders die, on average, 11 years earlier than adults with no mental disorder, most often from these co-morbid medical conditions [1]. The modifiable health risk factors that contribute to these diseases—smoking, obesity, hypertension, metabolic disorder, low physical activity, substance use, poor fitness, and diet—are also more common and have an earlier onset in people with SMI [2]. The 11.5 million adults with SMI in the USA are disproportionately affected by these modifiable health risk factors, and their low rates of prevention, detection, and treatment result in substantial disease burden and premature mortality [1–3]. Effective interventions to reduce these health risk factors exist for the general population, but they are generally unavailable to people with SMI. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and other Institutes recognize the need for research to develop and test interventions that aim to eliminate excess morbidity and mortality in people with SMI. This column highlights key activities that NIMH and other institutes have undertaken in this effort, including trans-institute meetings, funding opportunities, and resource development.