This practical guide, written by experts in mental health nursing, is designed to support healthcare practitioners in checking the physical health of people with severe mental illness (SMI).

As life expectancy is reduced by 12 to 19 years in people with SMI, this patient group should receive a physical health check at least once a year. Yet many mental health practitioners have not been trained to assess their physical health needs, and even when such training is offered it may be difficult to access it because of clinical workloads.

The Health Improvement Profile (HIP) provides an efficient, effective, evidence- based physical health check tool specifically designed to be used when assessing people with SMI. It supports practitioners in identifying physical health problems and guides them towards evidence-based interventions to address common health issues affecting people with SMI, ranging from cardiovascular disease to lifestyle factors such as diet, alcohol and smoking.

Contents include:

Introduction

What is severe mental illness?

What treatments are used in severe mental illness?

Systems of the body that are commonly affected in people with severe mental illness

Common physical comorbidities in people with severe mental illness

Cardiovascular disease in people with severe mental illness

Problematic behaviours affecting health in people with severe mental illness

How to use the Health Improvement Profile (physical health check tool)

Changing behaviour to improve health

Appendix 1: Health Improvement Profile (HIP) – Female

Appendix 2: Health Improvement Profile (HIP) – Male