Physico-physical comorbidity, poor health behaviour and health promotion in South Verona patients with functional psychoses

Background/Objectives: Epidemiological studies investigating the mortality and physical health of mental patients have provided evidence of an excess mortality and of a substantially higher prevalence of physical co-morbidity as compared to the general population. These findings have been explained with a multi-causal model including a higher prevalence of risk factors like high blood pressure, high plasma cholesterol and obesity, tendency to self neglect, unhealthy lifestyles, and medication side-effects. In addition, the mentally ill share the problems of disadvantaged people at large, especially of people wit…