Rethink Mental Illness has analysed NHS data and found adults living with severe mental health conditions are nearly five times more likely than their peers to die from serious physical diseases before the age of 75. The charity said the gap in life expectancy amounts to roughly 15 to 20 years, with many deaths linked to preventable physical conditions such as cancer.
The findings highlight large disparities in health outcomes for people with severe mental illness, according to the charity's analysis. The elevated risk of premature death from physical illnesses suggests that mental health conditions are frequently accompanied by unmet physical healthcare needs.
Rethink Mental Illness described the results as evidence of stark health inequalities. The charity said the concentration of preventable causes among these deaths points to failures in prevention, early detection and treatment of physical health problems for this population.
Health campaigners and clinicians have for years warned that people with serious mental illness often experience barriers to accessing routine physical healthcare. While the NHS data do not explain all the reasons for the gap, the charity's analysis calls attention to a pattern of avoidable loss of life.
The report adds to growing calls for policymakers and health services to address the intersection of mental and physical health. Rethink Mental Illness said the figures should prompt further examination of how services screen for and manage physical conditions in people with severe mental disorders, and how wider social determinants of health are being tackled.
The charity urged that the NHS and other health agencies review the findings and consider measures to reduce these disparities. Further research will be needed to pinpoint specific drivers of the excess mortality and to evaluate policies aimed at narrowing the life-expectancy gap.