Overlooked Population: Physical Health Care for Young, Non-Binary, and Rural Patients With Severe Mental Illness

Aims: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) experience significant physical comorbidities, contributing to a 20-year gap in life expectancy compared with the general Australian population. However, disparities persist in how their physical healthcare needs are addressed in healthcare settings...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Julia Kim, Russell Roberts, Sharon Lawn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-06-01
Series:BJPsych Open
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425100951/type/journal_article
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Summary:Aims: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) experience significant physical comorbidities, contributing to a 20-year gap in life expectancy compared with the general Australian population. However, disparities persist in how their physical healthcare needs are addressed in healthcare settings. Recent full report from Unequally Unwell (2024) identifies age, gender and rurality as contributing factors to mortality in SMI patients, yet little research has examined how these factors influence access to physical healthcare. This study investigates whether age, gender and rurality predict healthcare engagement, specifically whether patients access their care and whether their physical health is addressed in general practitioner (GP) and psychiatric consultations.
ISSN:2056-4724