Psychiatric patients: Why lifestyle is so crucial

The significantly reduced life expectancy of people with mental illnesses is largely due to lifestyle factors. Interventions such as nutritional counseling, sleep hygiene, and smoking cessation should therefore become an integral part of psychiatric care, a commission of experts calls for.

An unhealthy lifestyle, including smoking, not only worsens the mental well-being of those with mental illness but also contributes to a shortened life expectancy. / © Getty Images/seb_ra

Mentally ill people not only suffer psychological distress, but also live 13 to 15 years shorter than the general population. The main reason for this is their significantly increased cardiovascular risk. Physical illnesses are responsible for 70 percent of deaths among those with severe mental illnesses.

Lifestyle-related risk factors are particularly prevalent in this patient group: smoking rates are high , physical inactivity is widespread, diets tend to be unhealthy, and sleep hygiene is poor. The Lancet Psychiatry Commission points this out in its recent report , published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry (DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(25)00170-1).

The experts led by Dr. Scott Teasdale from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, are therefore calling for a rethink in the care of people with mental illness and an expansion of lifestyle interventions. Such interventions have proven to be effective complementary therapies for people with mental illnesses, the report states. They not only alleviate psychological symptoms but also protect physical health and promote overall well-being.

"Our lifestyle can significantly influence the course of our mental and physical health," stresses nutritionist Teasdale in a statement. However, many sufferers find a healthy lifestyle with sufficient exercise and Sleep , balanced diet and abstinence from tobacco are difficult.

According to the authors, appeals to individual behavior are not enough. Structural change is needed: health services must invest more, train professionals, and provide access to nutrition and exercise experts. "This is not just about individual behavior, but about transforming systems that support health and well-being," says Teasdale. For example, the care of people with mental illness has so far been focused on crisis management and medication and psychotherapy, with little focus on lifestyle. According to the report, structural factors such as poverty, educational deficits, and unequal access to care have also been underestimated.