The physical health disparities experienced by people who live with mental illness are well documented. Lifestyle risk factors, such as high smoking rates, low physical activity, high levels of sedentary behaviour, low cardiorespiratory fitness, lower diet quality, detrimental eating behaviour, and poor sleep hygiene, are prevalent in this population. Lifestyle interventions that target these risk factors are effective adjunctive therapies in people living with mental illness, alleviating mental health symptoms while protecting physical health and promoting wellbeing. Given the established benefits of lifestyle interventions in mental health settings, there is a need to shift the focus from efficacy towards implementation research and address how best to implement and deliver lifestyle interventions as core clinical practice. Implementation should include a recognition of the social and economic context in which behavioural risk factors emerge to ensure equity of outcomes.
More information: Implementing lifestyle interventions in mental health care: third report of the Lancet Psychiatry Physical Health Commission - The Lancet Psychiatry