Equally Well, Improving the physical health of people living with mental illness

Many people living with mental illness have excellent physical health and live long, productive and contributing lives. Unfortunately, this is not the experience for all. People living with mental illness die, on average, between 50 and 59 years of age. People living with severe mental illness are 7 times more likely to die early of cancer, 6 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, 4 times more likely to die of respiratory disease and 5 times more likely to smoke. Overall, 80% of those with a mental illness also have a mortality-related physical health condition. For every one person with a mental illness that dies due to suicide, 10 die early of preventable physical health conditions. Things do not have to be this way! People living with mental illness have the right to quality health care.
Effective mental health and physical health care improves the quantity and quality of life of those with a mental illness. This presentation describes the national leadership model for implementing the recently released Equally Well National Consensus Statement (https://equallywell.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Equally-Well-Consensus-Statement.pdf) on improving the physical health of people living with mental illness in Australia. So far, over 80 key national organisations and peak bodies, including every state and territory government have committed to Equally Well. The physical health of people living with mental illness is a priority of the 2017 Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.
The presentation will explore ways that PHNs, community controlled, private and state funded services can work together to improve care and care coordination. Finally, it will present three brief case studies from NSW, Victoria and WA on successful service coordination initiatives proven effective in improving the physical health of people living with mental illness.