The need for routine physical health care in schizophrenia

When managing their patients with schizophrenia, psychiatrists are increasingly concerned about physical disorders, including weight gain, obesity, metabolic abnormalities (in particular, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome), prolactin increase, sexual dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Other common health-related problems in these patients include recreational drug use, sedation/physical inactivity, adverse drug effects and poor self-care. Each of these can have an impact on patient well-being, adherence to therapy and life expectancy. Collectively they can pose substantial barriers to optimal outcomes. However, the widespread acknowledgement of the importance of the physical health of patients with schizophrenia does not always result in consistent monitoring and management of physical health risks in the clinic. Urgent action is needed to ensure that psychiatrists prioritise physical healthcare alongside mental healthcare as a way to improve the longterm outcomes of treatment in all patients with schizophrenia.