Sixty leading Australian health experts have recommended major improvements to primary healthcare services to stop people with serious mental illnesses from dying 14-23 years earlier than other Australians.
The Being Equally Well Roadmap report notes that nearly 80% of people with serious mental illness die prematurely of chronic physical health conditions that could be effectively managed and often prevented.
People with serious mental illness are six times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease and four times more likely to die of respiratory disease.
The roadmap was developed over two years in partnership with leading health experts, including psychiatrists, mental health consumers and carers and other health professionals.
The roadmap report was launched by Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and is the work of the Australian Health Policy Collaboration, Equally Well Australia, health professionals and multi-disciplinary academic experts.
Read Being Equally Well
