Adults with severe mental illness are nearly five times more likely than their peers to die from serious physical diseases before the age of 75, according to research.
uncertain
Adults → die → research
The analysis of NHS data by the Rethink Mental Illness charity reveals that people with severe mental health problems die 15-20 years earlier than the wider adult population, largely due to preventable physical conditions.
asserted
people → reveal → conditions
Rethink’s calculations show that adults under 75 with serious mental ill health – defined as those referred to specialist secondary mental health services – are 6.3 times as likely to die from liver disease, 6 times more likely from respiratory illness, 3.8 times more likely from cardiovascular disease and 2.3 times as likely from cancer.
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adults → show → cancer
They are also 14.6 times as likely to die due to suicide, compared with those who were not referred.
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who → die → those
Overall, they are 4.8 times more likely to die before the age of 75 than the general population.
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they → die → population
For working-age adults living with a mental illness, the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer are at their highest levels since records began, each with more than 24,000 deaths in the 2022-2024 reporting period, the charity calculated.
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charity → work → period
Cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and respiratory disease accounted for more than half (56.5%) of deaths for 18 to 74 year olds with severe mental health problems in England during this period.
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Cancer → account → period
Cancer and cardiovascular disease each accounted for just under 19% of all deaths, respiratory disease 11%, and liver disease 8%.
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Cancer → account → deaths
During the same period, suicide comprised 7% of these early deaths.
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suicide → comprise → deaths
The report identifies a number of factors driving this excess mortality, including poverty, poor housing, higher rates of smoking, weight gain from medication, physical inactivity, and fragmented care.
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report → identify → medication
But the authors conclude that “diagnostic overshadowing” – where physical symptoms are wrongly attributed to mental illness – means potential illnesses are not always properly investigated and treated.
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illnesses → conclude → illness
The findings come before the government’s independent review of mental health, autism and ADHD, which is expected to be published this week and recommend a more holistic approach to supporting patients with these conditions.
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which → come → conditions
Mark Winstanley, the chief executive of Rethink, said: “It is a scandal that people living with severe mental health problems are so much more likely than the rest of the population to die from often preventable physical health conditions.
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people → say → conditions
“Given that many are in frequent contact with health services throughout their lives, it is clear that opportunities to identify and treat physical health problems are being missed.
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opportunities → give → problems
The new cross-government mental health strategy … must prioritise physical health checks, improve access to mental-health informed interventions and bolster peer support, if it wants to reduce these terrible health inequalities.”
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it → prioritise → inequalities
Responding to the findings, Prof Subodh Dave, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “Having a severe mental illness shouldn’t be an early death sentence.
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Having → respond → illness
People with severe mental illness deserve the same opportunity to live long, healthy lives as everyone else.
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People → deserve → everyone
We know that evidence-based solutions to close this gap exist – from smoking cessation to routine physical health checks.
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solutions → know → checks
But what is lacking is concerted action to prevent these premature deaths.”
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lacking → lack → deaths
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “People living with severe mental illness face stark health inequalities, and too many continue to experience poorer physical health outcomes.
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many → say → outcomes
“This government is taking immediate action to transform services for people with severe mental illness.
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government → take → illness
We’re developing a new modern service framework to look at what action is needed to help people live healthier and longer lives through high-quality care, opening 100 new community mental health centres, and our mental health strategy will go further, outlining how we plan to build a more integrated system that responds earlier and reduces waiting times for support.”
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that → develop → support
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