Abstract
Policies and clinical guidelines acknowledge the role mental health services have in addressing the physical health of individuals with a mental illness; however, little research has explored interest in reducing health risk behaviours or the acceptability of receiving support to reduce such risks among psychiatric inpatients. This study estimated the prevalence of four long‐term disease risk behaviours (tobacco smoking, hazardous alcohol consumption, inadequate fruit and/or vegetable consumption, and inadequate physical activity); patient interest in reducing these risks; and acceptability of being provided care to do so during a psychiatric inpatient stay. A cross‐sectional survey was undertaken with 2075 inpatients from four inpatient psychiatric facilities in one health district in Australia (October 2012–April 2014). Prevalence of risk behaviours ranged from 50.2% (inadequate physical activity) to 94.8% (inadequate fruit and/or vegetable consumption). The majority of respondents (88.4%) had more than one risk behaviour, and most were seriously considering improving their risk behaviours (47.6% to 65.3%). The majority (80.4%) agreed that it would be acceptable to be provided support and advice to change such behaviours during their psychiatric inpatient stay. Some diagnoses were associated with smoking and hazardous alcohol consumption, interest in reducing alcohol consumption and increasing fruit and/or vegetable consumption, and acceptability of receiving advice and support. The findings reinforce the need and opportunity for psychiatric inpatient facilities to address the long‐term disease risk behaviours of their patients.
Highlights
In a recent Australian survey, the prevalence of risk was considerably higher for clients of community mental health services compared to clients of generalist community health services for tobacco smoking (51% vs 13%), hazardous alcohol consumption (43% vs 22%), inadequate nutrition (87% vs 81%), and inadequate physical activity (47% vs 28%) (Bartlem et al 2015a; McElwaine et al 2013)
Clients attending community mental health services reported a similar prevalence of risk behaviours across all psychiatric diagnoses (Bartlem et al 2015a), and recent global research suggests that all diagnoses, not just severe mental illness, are associated with increased risk of long-term disease (Scott et al 2016)
Psychiatric inpatients reported a high prevalence of risk for tobacco smoking, hazardous alcohol consumption, inadequate fruit and/or vegetable intake, and inadequate physical activity
Summary
The life expectancy of people across the broad spectrum of mental illness is substantially lower than that of the general population (Chang et al 2011; Laursen et al 2013; Lawrence et al 2013; Olfson et al 2015; Walker et al 2015). Clients attending community mental health services reported a similar prevalence of risk behaviours across all psychiatric diagnoses (Bartlem et al 2015a), and recent global research suggests that all diagnoses, not just severe mental illness, are associated with increased risk of long-term disease (Scott et al 2016). These findings indicate that strategies to address these behaviours for all people with a mental health condition, regardless of diagnosis, are required, and more research is required to determine how to best tailor health behaviour interventions for people with mental illnesses
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