Health risk behaviours among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of linked cohort data

Background People with severe mental ill health (SMI) experience a mortality gap of 15–20 years. COVID-19 has amplified population health inequalities, and there is concern that people with SMI will be disproportionately affected. Understanding how health risk behaviours have changed during the pandemic is important when developing strategies to mitigate future increases in health inequalities. Methods We sampled from an existing cohort of people with SMI. Researchers contacted participants by phone or post to invite them to take part in a survey about how the pandemic had affected them. We asked people about their health risk behaviours and how these had changed during the pandemic. We created an index of changed behaviours, comprising dietary factors, smoking, lack of exercise, and drinking patterns. By creating data linkages, we compared their responses during pandemic restrictions to responses they gave prior to the pandemic. Outcomes 367 people provided health risk data. The mean age of the participants was 50.5 (range = 20 to 86, SD ± 15.69) with 51.0% male and 77.4% white British. 47.5% of participants reported taking less physical activity during the pandemic and of those who smoke 54.5% reported smoking more heavily. Self-reported deterioration in physical health was significantly associated with an increase in health risk behaviours (adjusted OR for physical health 1.59, 95%CI 1.22–2.07; adjusted OR for Age 0.99, 95%CI 0.98–1.00). Interpretation COVID-19 is likely to amplify health inequalities for people with SMI. Health services should target health risk behaviours for people with SMI to mitigate the immediate and long lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Health risk behaviours among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of linked cohort data

10.1101/2021.03.29.21254527 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Peckham ◽

Victoria Allgar ◽

Suzanne Crosland ◽

Paul Heron ◽

Gordon Johnston ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Physical Health ◽

Health Inequalities ◽

Dietary Factors ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Younger Age ◽

Health Risk Behaviours ◽

Severe Mental Ill Health ◽

Data Linkages

Background People with severe mental ill health (SMI) experience a mortality gap of 15-20 years. COVID-19 has amplified population health inequalities, and there is concern that people with SMI will be disproportionately affected. Understanding how health risk behaviours have changed during the pandemic is important when developing strategies to mitigate future increases in health inequalities. Methods We sampled from an existing cohort of people with SMI. Researchers contacted participants by phone or post to invite them to take part in a survey about how the pandemic had affected them. We asked people about their health risk behaviours and how these had changed during the pandemic. We created an index of changed behaviours, comprising dietary factors, smoking, lack of exercise, and drinking patterns. By creating data linkages, we compared their responses during pandemic restrictions to responses they gave prior to the pandemic. Outcomes 367 people provided health risk data. 47.5% of participants reported taking less physical activity during the pandemic and of those who smoke 54.5% reported smoking more heavily. Self-reported deterioration in physical health and younger age were significantly associated with an increase in health risk behaviours (adjusted OR for physical health 1.59, 95%CI 1.22-2.07; adjusted OR for Age 0.99, 95%CI 0.98-1.00). Interpretation COVID-19 is likely to amplify health inequalities for people with SMI. Health services should target health risk behaviours for people with SMI to mitigate the immediate and long lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Physical Health Risk Behaviours in Young People with Mental Illness

Issues in Mental Health Nursing ◽

10.3109/01612840.2015.1036480 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (10) ◽

pp. 781-790 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Andrea McCloughen ◽

Kim Foster ◽

Nikka Marabong ◽

David Miu ◽

Judith Fethney

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Young People ◽

Health Risk ◽

Physical Health ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Health Risk Behaviours

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Associations of loneliness with poor physical health, poor mental health and health risk behaviours among a nationally representative community dwelling sample of middle‐aged and older adults in India

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry ◽

10.1002/gps.5592 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Supa Pengpid ◽

Karl Peltzer

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Risk ◽

Physical Health ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Poor Physical Health ◽

Health Risk Behaviours ◽

Nationally Representative

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Prevalence of physical health conditions and health risk behaviours in people with severe mental illness in South Asia: protocol for a cross-sectional study (IMPACT SMI survey)

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037869 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. e037869 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gerardo A Zavala ◽

Krishna Prasad-Muliyala ◽

Faiza Aslam ◽

Deepa Barua ◽

Asiful Haidar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Physical Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Risk Behaviours ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

IntroductionPeople with severe mental illness (SMI) die on average 10–20 years earlier than the general population. Most of these deaths are due to physical health conditions. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to determine the prevalence of physical health conditions and their associations with health-risk behaviours, health-related quality of life and various demographic, behavioural, cognitive, psychological and social variables in people with SMI attending specialist mental health facilities in South Asia.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a survey of patients with SMI attending specialist mental health facilities in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan (n=4500). Diagnosis of SMI will be confirmed using the Mini-international neuropsychiatric interview V.6.0. We will collect information about physical health and related health-risk behaviours (WHO STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPS)); severity of common mental disorders (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7)) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). We will measure blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference according to WHO guidelines. We will also measure glycated haemoglobin, lipid profile, thyroid function, liver function, creatinine and haemoglobin. Prevalence rates of physical health conditions and health-risk behaviours will be presented and compared with the WHO STEPS survey findings in the general population. Regression analyses will explore the association between health-risk behaviours, mental and physical health conditions.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the ethics committees of the Department of Health Sciences University of York (UK), Centre for Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation (Bangladesh), Health Ministry Screening Committee and Indian Council of Medical Research (India) and National Bioethics Committee (Pakistan). Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed articles, in local and international conferences and as reports for policymakers and stakeholders in the countries involved.Trial registration numberISRCTN88485933; 3 June 2019.

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Perceived discrimination and health outcomes among middle-aged and older adults in India: results of a national survey in 2017–2018

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02508-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Supa Pengpid ◽

Karl Peltzer

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Risk ◽

Physical Health ◽

Perceived Discrimination ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Poor Physical Health ◽

Health Risk Behaviours

Abstract Background The study aimed to estimate the associations between perceived discrimination and poor physical health, poor mental health, and health risk behaviours in middle-aged and older adults in a national population survey in India. Methods The sample included 72,262 middle-aged and older adults from a cross-sectional national community dwelling survey in India in 2017–2018. Results The prevalence of moderate (1–2 types) perceived discrimination was 10.7%, and high (3–6 types) perceived discrimination was 6.6%. In the final adjusted logistic, linear or Poisson regression analyses, moderate and/or high perceived discrimination was significantly positively associated with poor mental health (low life satisfaction, poor cognitive functioning, insomnia symptoms, and depressive symptoms), poor physical health (pain conditions count, and functional limitations), and health risk behaviours (heavy episodic drinking and physical inactivity). Conclusion Perceived discrimination is associated with poor mental health, poor physical health, and health risk behaviour, emphasising the need to consider perceived discrimination in various physical and mental health contexts.

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The Associations between Health Risk Behaviours and Suicidal Ideation and Attempts in a Nationally Representative Sample of Young Adolescents

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674370705201007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 52 (10) ◽

pp. 666-674 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Tracie O Afifi ◽

Brian J Cox ◽

Laurence Y Katz

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Health Risk ◽

Sexual Intercourse ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Female Adolescents ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Young Adolescents ◽

Adolescent Boys ◽

Health Risk Behaviours ◽

Nationally Representative

Objective: To examine associations between health risk behaviours and suicidal ideation and attempts in Canadian adolescents aged 12 to 13 years. Young adolescents think about and attempt suicide. However, most existing research on suicide has been conducted on individuals aged 15 years and older. Method: The present study examined a nationally representative Canadian sample of adolescents aged 12 to 13 years ( n = 2090). Health risk behaviours included disruptive (shoplifting, physical fighting, damaging property, fighting with a weapon, carrying a knife, and gambling), sexual (petting below the waist and sexual intercourse), and substance use behaviours (smoking cigarettes, consuming alcohol, marijuana or hash, and glue or solvents). Unadjusted and adjusted (for all significant health risk behaviour and psychiatric symptoms) models were tested. Results: All health risk behaviours were common among male and female adolescents. In unadjusted models, almost all health risk behaviours were associated with suicidal ideation and attempts among adolescent boys. In adjusted models, only damaging property, sexual intercourse, and smoking cigarettes remained statistically associated with suicidal ideation, while smoking cigarettes and using marijuana or hash remained statistically associated with suicide attempts among adolescent boys. All health risk behaviours were statistically associated with suicidal ideation and attempts among female adolescents in unadjusted models. In adjusted models, only carrying a knife remained statistically associated with suicidal ideation, while shoplifting and gambling remained statistically associated with suicide attempts among adolescent girls. Conclusions: Health risk behaviours among young adolescents are associated with suicidal ideation and attempts among young adolescents. Recognizing health risk behaviours among young adolescents may be one means of understanding who among them is at increased risk of suicidality.

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