HEALTH AND RECOVERY: A Message From the NYCDOH Office of Consumer Affairs

by Susan Batkin, L.M.S.W.

Decades of published studies have shown that people with severe mental illness have a significantly shorter life expectancy than the general population. The health problems facing this community have become epidemic in recent years, and the need for public action has grown desperate.

In a 2006 report, “Morbidity and Mortality in People with Serious Mental Illness,” the National Association of State Mental Health program directors depicted the current state of affairs. Here are some highlights from the findings:

People with serious mental illness served by our public mental health systems die, on average, at least 25 years earlier than the general population.

About 60 percent of premature deaths in persons with schizophrenia are due to “natural causes” attributed to cardiovascular, pulmonary, and infectious diseases. Cardiovascular disease is associated with the largest number of deaths and is 2.3 times more prevalent in people with mental illness than in the general public.

There is an epidemic of obesity and diabetes among people with mental illness, increasing the risk of multiple medical conditions and cardiovascular disease.

Over the past two years, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) has launched several initiatives to raise awareness of these issues. The OCA is working to transform these alarming public health statistics into a clear, simple, and empowering message: health and wellness are an integral part of mental health recovery.

In November 2005, the OCA and several community groups organized a conference called “Mind Your Health: Expanding the Vision of Mental Health Recovery.” Many of the 300 participants – providers and consumers alike – said that they had never attended such an event. After hearing this surprising feedback, the OCA created a standing workgroup to focus on consumer health issues. When the workgroup conducted a series of focus groups to assess 100 consumers’ awareness of their own health and its relationship to recovery, most of the participants lacked basic knowledge of how to manage their health, and few connected health and wellness with recovery.

The OCA is now working to fill this gap in awareness. The workgroup, in partnership with community groups such as NAMI-NYC Metro, has begun organizing a series of workshops on wellness and recovery. It aims to empower consumers to take greater responsibility for their health and well-being. The series, “Mind Your Health,” kicked off in the spring with “Personal Empowerment: Becoming a Proactive Healthcare Consumer.” For information on upcoming workshops, visit NAMI-NYC Metro's events page.

We at OCA welcome participation in our efforts to reverse the crisis that is rapidly taking the lives of too many people in our community. For more information about these workshops, please contact the OCA at 212.219.5393.

Susan Batkin is a member of the Mind Your Health Workgroup.

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