SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES AND METABOLIC SYNDROME: THE NEED FOR MORE AWARENESS AND BETTER CARE
Abstract
Mental disorders are a group of heterogeneous illnesses which include depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders including autism. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder affect hundreds of millions of individuals. Globally, an estimated 350 million people suffer from depression, about 60 million have bipolar affective disorder, and about 21 million have schizophrenia. Mortality rates in people with schizophrenia are 2 to 3-fold higher than in general population and the life expectancy is decreased with approximately 20 years. The main causes of premature death are suicide, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.