Severe mental illness linked to sharply earlier death from physical disease

The short version

• Adults with severe mental illness die 15 to 20 years earlier than peers, primarily from preventable physical illnesses, according to charity analysis of NHS data.[The Guardian]
• Individuals referred to specialist mental health services face nearly five times the risk of dying from serious physical conditions before age 75.[The Guardian]
• Contributing factors include poverty, fragmented medical care, medication side effects, and diagnostic overshadowing where physical symptoms are misattributed to mental conditions.[The Guardian]
• An upcoming government independent review of mental health, autism, and ADHD is anticipated to recommend more integrated care.[The Guardian]

Key facts

• An analysis of NHS data shows people with severe mental health issues die 15 to 20 years earlier than the broader population.[The Guardian]
• Adults under 75 referred to specialist mental health services are nearly five times as likely to die from physical illnesses as the general population.[The Guardian]
• Cancer and cardiovascular disease accounted for the highest recorded death counts among working-age adults with mental illness between 2022 and 2024, each exceeding 24,000.[The Guardian]
• Suicide accounted for 7% of early deaths in this group, whereas four major physical conditions accounted for over 56% of fatalities.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Adults with severe mental illness die 15 to 20 years earlier from diseases such as cancerThe Guardian - World