The Heart Disease Risks and Prevention Strategies for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness series explores the elevated risk of heart disease among individuals with serious mental illness and offers practical guidance for care providers. In 2014, over 10 million adults in the United States were living with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness are two to three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease compared to the general population.  

This series aims to educate healthcare providers on the importance of integrated care and effective prevention strategies to reduce the risk of heart disease for this population. 

Videos  

The series is composed of the following two videos: 

  1. Heart Disease Risks and Prevention Strategies for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness: An Overview: This video highlights the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people with serious mental illness and the need for comprehensive treatment of both mental and physical health conditions. The video discusses how factors like weight gain from diet or medications, hypertension, lack of physical activity, and tobacco use contribute to this elevated risk. Barriers to care, such as financial constraints and lack of transportation, are also addressed. The importance of integrating mental health services with primary care to ensure patients receive the necessary treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease is emphasized.  
  2. Heart Disease Risks and Prevention Strategies for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness: Recommendations for Providers: This video provides practical recommendations for care providers to help mitigate the risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with serious mental illness. Emphasizing the need for empathy, clear communication, and patient involvement in treatment decisions, the video encourages providers to promote lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation and regular exercise. These changes not only reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease but also enhance overall wellness. The video highlights the importance of standardized screening protocols and supportive services to improve patient care.  

Citation 

Program to Achieve Wellness. (Producer). (2017). Heart disease risks and prevention strategies for individuals with serious mental illness [Webinar Series]. https://www.prainc.com/resource-library/ 

This resource was first shared in 2017.  

(HTML, YouTube)