Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
10:32

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

Are the cardiometabolic complications of schizophrenia still neglected? Barriers to care

Tim J R Lambert1, John W Newcomer

  • 1Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW. tlambert@med.usyd.edu.au

The Medical Journal of Australia
|February 18, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Patients with schizophrenia face high cardiometabolic disease risks. Despite awareness, inadequate screening and integrated care persist due to manageable barriers, necessitating improved healthcare strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Cardiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Patients with schizophrenia exhibit 1.5-5 times higher cardiometabolic disease risk compared to the general population.
  • Existing guidelines for screening and monitoring cardiometabolic risks have not sufficiently reduced premature morbidity and mortality in individuals with psychotic illnesses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify barriers to adequate cardiometabolic risk screening and integrated care for patients with schizophrenia.
  • To propose actionable recommendations for improving the management of cardiometabolic risks in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of existing literature and survey data from mental health practitioners.
  • Identification of service, patient, and illness-level barriers to integrated healthcare.

Main Results:

  • Mental health practitioners acknowledge the importance of managing cardiometabolic risks but report inadequate screening rates.
  • Significant barriers at service, patient, and illness levels impede the provision of adequate integrated care.

Conclusions:

  • "Knowing is not doing" highlights the gap between recognizing the need for and implementing cardiometabolic risk management in patients with schizophrenia.
  • Recommendations include service reorganization, enhanced communication, improved training, better incentives, rigorous accreditation, and government leadership to overcome barriers and improve patient outcomes.

Related Concept Videos

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
Schizophrenia01:17

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a term introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911, describes a severe psychological disorder marked by profound disruptions in attention, thought processes, language, emotion, and interpersonal relationships. The core feature of schizophrenia is psychosis — a state characterized by a fundamental detachment from reality. This disconnection manifests through distorted logic, impaired perception, and atypical behavior, severely affecting the lives of those diagnosed.
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Biological Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Drug Therapy01:28

Drug Therapy

The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction01:30

Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): An Overview with Scientific InsightsCoronary Artery Disease (CAD), often referred to as C-A-D, is a prevalent blood vessel disorder classified under the broader category of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a pathological process characterized by the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques are composed of cholesterol, fatty substances, inflammatory cells, calcium, and fibrin, reducing blood flow to...