Physical health and mental wellbeing are deeply connected, particularly for individuals with severe mental health conditions. Addressing physical health needs is essential for comprehensive care that promotes recovery, quality of life, and long-term health outcomes.
The physical health gap
It is an unfortunate but a well-known fact that people with severe mental illnesses face a significantly higher burden of physical health problems. Chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking-related illnesses are more prevalent due to medication side effects, lifestyle factors, and socio-economic challenges.
These conditions not only reduce quality of life but also complicate mental health treatment, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality rates.
How mental health nurses support physical healthcare
Nurses are at the forefront of delivering physical healthcare in mental health settings, beyond traditional mental health interventions, including:
Education
Teaching service users about lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking cessation, alcohol consumption and medication compliance.
Screening and monitoring
Regular assessments of vital signs and metabolic parameters by nurses enable early identification of health concerns, prompt intervention and better management.
Early identification helps prevent the stress and anxiety of emergency hospital admissions and can reduce prolonged treatment and hospitalisation.
Coordination of care
Nurses liaise with multidisciplinary teams like GPs, dietitians, specialist nurses, dentists, opticians and therapists to ensure integrated treatment plans address previously neglected physical needs due to the person’s poor mental health status.
Lifestyle programmes
Promoting physical activity, healthy eating and other healthy living strategies to mitigate risks associated with sedentary lifestyles and medication side effects.
Mental and physical healthcare as a unified focus
Despite the critical role nurses play, the current regulatory landscape often under-prioritises physical health skills and interventions within mental health nursing education and practice.
It’s important to recognise that mental and physical health are inseparable components of overall wellbeing. True holistic care acknowledges this interdependence. At Cygnet, we continue to invest in physical health skills training and comprehensive health promotion to equip nurses to better care for our service users.
An urgency for change
Historically, mental health has struggled with stigma, marginalisation, and a lack of prioritisation. Consequently, physical health issues in mental health populations have often been neglected.
Today, as the world moves toward a more integrated understanding of health, there is a growing necessity for mental health services to give physical health the attention it warrants. This not only improves individual outcomes but also reduces the long-term burden on healthcare systems.
Nursing interventions for physical activity and mental wellbeing
Regular exercise reduces stress, improves mood, increases energy levels, and supports better sleep. Nurses are uniquely positioned to educate service users about these benefits, building motivation and behavioural change whilst helping individuals incorporate sustainable habits into their routines.
Services across Cygnet are using initiatives to encourage healthier lifestyles:
- Cygnet Hospital Colchester developed easy-read oral health resources and activity-based workshops
- Cygnet Hospital Wyke hosted a Health Promotion Awareness Day on International Nurses Day with such success that staff and service users requested its return.
- Other services have organised walking challenges for Prostate Cancer UK awareness, implemented takeaway-free periods, and run weekly well-woman and well-man sessions to open up discussion around health topics.
Moving forward
Integrating physical health strategies within mental health care is vital for improving outcomes for people with severe mental illnesses. Nurses have a critical role in championing this holistic approach through improving physical health knowledge, fostering education, and encouraging lifestyle improvements.
Only by addressing both mental and physical health can we truly improve the lives of those we care for.