Health risk behaviours among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of linked cohort data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

People with severe mental ill health (SMI) experience a mortality gap of 15-20 years. COVID-19 has amplified population health inequalities, and there is concern that people with SMI will be disproportionately affected. Understanding how health risk behaviours have changed during the pandemic is important when developing strategies to mitigate future increases in health inequalities.

Methods

We sampled from an existing cohort of people with SMI. Researchers contacted participants by phone or post to invite them to take part in a survey about how the pandemic had affected them. We asked people about their health risk behaviours and how these had changed during the pandemic. We created an index of changed behaviours, comprising dietary factors, smoking, lack of exer

SUBMITTER: Peckham E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8516268 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature