People treated with psychotropic drugs (n=882) had significantly reduced physical activity, more smoking, more somatic illness, and reduced quality of life compared to those without mental illness.
Cross-Sectional (n=15,474)
Do people treated with psychotropic drugs have worse health behaviour and quality of life compared to those without mental illness?
People treated with psychotropic drugs exhibit poorer health behaviors, more somatic illnesses, and reduced quality of life, highlighting the need for targeted health interventions.
BACKGROUND: Recent literature reports a reduced l expectancy in patients with severe mental illness. We have investigated health behaviour, quality of life, and sociodemographic variables of people with psychopharmacological treatment using data from the most recent Austrian Health Survey. METHODS: Quality of life (the World Health Organization quality of life, abbreviated version) questionnaires and items from the European Health Interview Survey were used in assessing health status and health behaviour of 15, 474 people living in Austria. From this sample, 882 individuals (5. 7%) under psychopharmacological treatment were compared with respondents without mental illness. RESULTS: We found significant differences in health behaviour (reduced physical activity, more smoking) and sociodemographic data (age, gender, education, income) between people treated for mental illness and respondents without psychopharmacological treatment. Correspondingly, more somatic illness and reduced quality of life were found in the former group. CONCLUSION: These data stress the necessity of health intervention and antipoverty programmes taking social and somatic issues for people with moderate mental health problems into account.
Kopp et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Mental illness (n=15,474). Psychopharmacological treatment vs. Respondents without mental illness was evaluated on Health behaviour, quality of life, and sociodemographic variables. People treated with psychotropic drugs (n=882) had significantly reduced physical activity, more smoking, more somatic illness, and reduced quality of life compared to those without mental illness.