Cardiovascular screening for people with severe mental illness: still missing the full picture

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Only 35% of people with severe mental illness received all six cardiovascular risk factor checks within one month in this UK primary care study. Financial incentives temporarily increased comprehensive screening but effects were uneven and short-lived. Young men of non-White ethnicity were most likely to miss screening, highlighting persistent inequalities.

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Doubling of respiratory deaths in people with severe mental illness

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People with severe mental illness are more than twice as likely to die from respiratory disease than those without. This new systematic review highlights the scale of the problem and why action on public health and social inequality is just as vital as stop-smoking advice.

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Medical diagnosis increases the risk of depression: but who’s most vulnerable?

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Dona Mathews highlights a new study showing a doubled risk of depression after a medical diagnosis – especially in the first month post-diagnosis, for those who are hospitalised for their medical condition, those with multiple medical conditions, those over 60, and for women.

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ACT now for MND: acceptance and commitment therapy can improve quality of life for people with motor neuron disease

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Dona Matthews summarises a recent trial which suggests that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can maintain or improve quality of life for people with early stage motor neuron disease.

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Digital CBT can help people with depression or anxiety and comorbid long-term medical conditions

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Stephanie Loukieh summarises the COMPASS trial, which presents promising results for digitally delivered CBT for depression and anxiety related to living with a long-term physical health condition.

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Does a diagnosis of severe physical illness elevate suicide risk?

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Dona Matthews reviews a retrospective cohort study of 47 million people exploring the risk of suicide after diagnosis of severe physical illness, such as low-survival cancers, chronic ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and degenerative neurological conditions such as Huntington’s disease.

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Severe mental illness and comorbid chronic physical illness: the clock’s ticking

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In her debut blog, Jodie Ferris summarises a recent cohort study on the temporal relationship between severe mental illness diagnosis and chronic physical comorbidity in the UK, which contains important findings for care and future research.

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