Addressing the Public Health Epidemic of Premature Mortality in People with SMI: Evolving Roles for Mental Health Clinicians-View Presentation

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The SMI Advisor webinar, led by Dr. Benjamin Druss, focused on addressing premature mortality in individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and the evolving roles of mental health clinicians. The webinar emphasized integrating mental health with physical health and public health approaches, highlighting the public health impact of SMI, which leads to a significant reduction in life expectancy and is largely due to general medical conditions rather than directly from mental disorders themselves.<br /><br />Dr. Druss discussed the need for a comprehensive public health framework, involving individual lifestyle interventions, system-level healthcare integration, and community-level public policies. He emphasized the importance of medical literacy among mental health clinicians and their role in coordinating care, promoting healthy lifestyles, and addressing iatrogenic risks associated with psychiatric medications.<br /><br />The session also introduced the concept of medical disease self-management programs like the HAARP program, which empower patients with SMI through peer-led support and goal setting. Questions were addressed regarding international comparisons in health outcomes, progress since the CATIE study, and the importance of metabolic screening in mental health settings. Improvements in training programs for mental health professionals to incorporate basic medical diagnosis and care coordination were strongly encouraged.

Keywords

premature mortality

serious mental illness

mental health clinicians

public health impact

healthcare integration

medical literacy

iatrogenic risks

self-management programs

metabolic screening