Not everyone finds it easy to discuss their health, but a new resource offers a helpful way to kick-start those conversations.
People with mental health issues often carry a double burden, with significant gaps in physical health outcomes between themselves and the general population.
‘The decrease to life expectancy is between 14–23 years less than the general population,’ Jade Ryall, a community mental health worker, told newsGP.
One of the major contributors to this situation is the challenges people with mental health concerns face in accessing primary healthcare, something Ms Ryall is working to address as program manager of the Back on Track Health (BOTH) program for Flourish Australia, a New South Wales mental health support service.
‘We really want people with mental health issues to be able to detect health risks early, and then respond to that by connecting with a GP,’ Ms Ryall explained.
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