Title: Study shows anxiety and depression lower life expectancy | Mental Healthy
Headings: Study shows anxiety and depression lower life expectancy
Study shows anxiety and depression lower life expectancy
Study shows anxiety and depression lower life expectancy

Content: Dr David Batty, a Wellcome Trust research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UCL and senior author on the study, said: " This increased mortality is not simply due to people with higher levels of psychological distress having poorer health behaviours." Whilst the causes of the link are not clear in this study, it is thought, that a deterioration in physical health caused by psychiatric medications is primarily responsible for reducing life expectancy in people with schiozphrenia e.g. by developing cardiovascular (heart) problems or diabetes. Paul Jenkins, chief executive of the charity Rethink, told BBC News: " Sadly, these findings do not come as a surprise. "While this study looks at depression and anxiety, people with severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia die, on average, 20 years earlier than the rest of us. It's an absolute scandal. "There is a huge lack of awareness amongst health professionals about the increased risk of physical illness for this group, which means people are dying needlessly every day." Charlotte Fantlli from Mental Healthy says: " Whilst these finding make sad reading, they are also positive in the fact they wake us up to the real 'physical' side of mental illness.