Cycles of Unhealthy Behaviors in Unhealthy Environments

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines the unhealthy behaviors that disproportionately impact people with serious mental illness (SMI), putting them at increased risk for obesity, chronic medical illnesses (e.g., diabetes), and premature mortality. It reviews existing studies documenting the increased rates of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, sedentary lifestyles, and unhealthy diets in people with SMI. These health behaviors do not happen in a vacuum; they are impacted by social, economic, and cultural forces. Case studies drawn from the author’s work illustrate how these unhealthy behaviors interact with complex social conditions like poverty, unhealthy food environments, and unsafe neighborhoods to create and sustain cycles of unhealthy behaviors that are detrimental to people’s health. This chapter illustrates how the cycles of unhealthy behaviors in unhealthy environments contribute to health inequities in people with SMI.