Challenging Health Outcomes/Integrating Care Environments (CHOICE)

People with long-term mental health problems face profound social exclusion. They also die much younger than the general population from preventable causes. This is not just a medical issue; there is a need to address the contributory social and psychological factors.

While some of the poor health of this population may be attributed to lifestyle behaviours and psychotropic medication, other social and psychological factors such as low self-esteem, exclusion, loneliness, and discrimination are indirectly implicated.

The mechanisms behind such disparities are systemic and multifactorial, requiring integrated cross-sectoral and person-centred approaches that are currently patchy or absent. Missing too are the voices of people with mental health problems and their families.