Mental Health Awareness Week

For 2023, the College is using Mental Health Awareness Week to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with serious mental illnesses, or SMIs.

We published an analysis this week which showed that more than 26,000 adults with severe mental illness die prematurely each year from preventable physical illnesses.

The College is urging everyone to look out for those with severe mental illness and ensure they are receiving professional support for both their physical and mental health problems. 

We're also calling on the Government to close the mortality gap and provide full annual health checks to everyone with a severe mental illness, comprising blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids tests plus BMI weight, alcohol status and smoking assessments. 

Podcast

Rehabilitation psychiatry plays a crucial role in helping individuals with serious mental illnesses to achieve their full potential and lead fulfilling lives.

In this podcast episode we hear from Dr Katie Fergus, an expert in rehabilitation psychiatry with a wealth of experience in this field.

Blog post

For this Mental Health Awareness Week, one of the College’s Patient Representatives has written a powerful blog post - 'Living with a Serious Mental Illness' - about the challenges of growing up with an SMI.

Read the post