Severe Mental Illness Shortens Lives More Than Smoking, Obesity
London: Most Britons dramatically underestimate how much severe mental illness (SMI) shortens lives, with new research revealing the public believes it cuts life expectancy by around seven years when the true figure is closer to 15 to 20. The study, by King’s Health Partners, Maudsley Charity, and the Policy Institute at King’s College London, warns this ‘hidden health crisis’ affects more than half a million people in the UK living with conditions such as schizophrenia, psychosis, and bipolar disorder. According to Philippines News Agency, only one in nine (11 percent) survey respondents correctly identified the extent of the mortality gap.