Nielsen, René Ernst, Taipale, Heidi, Cortese, Samuele, Dragioti, Elena, Du Rietz, Ebba, Firth, Joseph, Fusar-Poli, Paolo, Hartman, Catharina, Holt, Richard I.G., Høye, Anne, Koyanagi, Ai, Larsson, Henrik, Lehto, Kelli, Lindgren, Peter, Manchia, Mirko, Nordentoft, Merete, Skonieczna-żydecka, Karolina, Stubbs, Brendon, Vancampfort, Davy, Brandt, Lasse, Marx, Wolfgang, Reininghaus, Eva, Vieta, Eduard, De Prisco, Michele, Boyer, Laurent, Correll, Christoph U. and Solmi, Marco (2026) Integrating physical healthcare into psychiatry for severe mental illness: a narrative review and position statement from the ECNP PAN-health group. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 5. (doi:10.1016/j.nsa.2026.106993).
Abstract
Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) face significantly reduced life expectancy, mainly driven by natural causes such as cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, cancer, and stroke. Although medical care has advanced, the mortality gap between individuals with SMI and the general population has continued to expand in many countries over recent decades. This disparity is exacerbated by systemic healthcare inequities, fragmented healthcare, insufficient use of preventive measures, and the burden of multimorbidity.
This paper proposes six actionable strategies to reduce the excess mortality associated with SMI by integrating physical healthcare into psychiatric services. Across all recommendations, we explicitly embed lifestyle interventions, especially structured physical activity given its comparatively stronger evidence base in SMI, alongside sleep and nutrition support delivered through pragmatic, accessible programs. First, psychoeducation should be expanded to include physical health literacy. Second, structured smoking cessation programs must be implemented. Third, early identification and management of obesity, including pharmacological interventions, should be prioritized. Fourth, hypertension should be routinely screened and treated within psychiatric settings. Fifth, dyslipidaemia and diabetes require systematic monitoring and timely initiation of statins, metformin and GLP-1 receptor agonists. Sixth, these interventions must be delivered through integrated care models that ensure continuity, optimal self-management, and long-term outcome monitoring. Together, these six approaches offer a framework to narrow the mortality gap between people with SMI and the general population, as well as support a shift toward holistic, person-centred care. We synthesise the evidence on physical health disparities in SMI and provide practical, evidence-based recommendations for psychiatric settings. Together, these strategies offer a feasible, person-centered framework to improve health outcomes and reduce premature mortality in individuals with SMI.
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