A South East Technological University (SETU) researcher has contributed to a global report urging urgent lifestyle changes in mental health care to help close the 15-year life expectancy gap for people with mental illness.
Dr Evan Matthews, a researcher at SETU, is among 30 international experts from 19 countries to co-author the Lancet Psychiatry Commission report: ‘Implementing lifestyle interventions in mental health care’.
The report was led by the University of News South Wales and the University of Manchester.
A spokesperson for SETU in an online statement said the Commission sets out a roadmap to transform mental health care systems worldwide so that lifestyle interventions are recognised as core components of treatment, not optional extras.
“Making positive changes in areas like physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and smoking can reduce symptoms, improve physical health, and help address the stark health inequalities experienced by people with mental illness,” said Dr Matthews, commenting on the report.
“Lifestyle factors are a critical part of mental health care,” he said.
“We know that supporting people to make positive changes in areas like physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and [quitting] smoking can reduce symptoms, improve physical health, and help address the stark health inequalities experienced by people with mental illness,” he added.
Dr Matthews said it’s about about changing systems so that such interventions are embedded in every stage of care.
The report builds on a 2019 Commission which highlighted that people with mental illness die, on average, 13 to 15 years earlier than the general population. That’s largely due to preventable physical health conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
The new publication reviews 89 lifestyle intervention studies from around the world and sets out eight recommendations and 19 priorities for action including: Upskilling mental health staff to deliver lifestyle interventions; Embedding exercise and nutrition specialists within mental health services; Ensuring services are trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and co-designed with people with lived experience and making interventions adaptable to resource-limited settings, including conflict-affected regions.
The recommendations have been reviewed by people with lived experience of mental illness and a Global South Advisory Group of experts from lower-income countries, ensuring they can be applied globally.
The Commission noted that implementation strategies must be tailored to local contexts, however, it also stressed that the principles are universal: safe and inclusive environments, a holistic approach to treatment, and strong partnerships with the communities served.
Dr Matthews emphasised that incorporating lifestyle interventions requires investment, but the long-term benefits for both individuals and health systems are substantial.
“This is not just about personal behaviour change,” he said.
“It’s about creating supportive systems and environments that make healthy choices accessible, realistic, and sustainable.”
The report is one of two published by The Lancet Psychiatry Physical Health Commission on the same day, the second focusing on the physical health side effects of medication.