Medical Illness and Schizophrenia

The life expectancy of patients with schizophrenia is approximately 20% shorter than that of the general population. Lifestyle choices, effects of medications, poor self-care, barriers to treatmentAall contribute to medical problems that increase the severity of psychopathology, reduce quality of life, and lead to premature death in patients with schizophrenia. Medical Illness and Schizophrenia examines the links between medical conditions and severe chronic mental illness, with a focus on -The need for better medical assessment and treatment to improve outcomes in patients with schizophrenia -Links between schizophrenia and conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV and hepatitis C, endocrine-related disorders, and others -The association between therapy with certain antipsychotics and adverse health outcomes including hyperlipidemia, obesity, and diabetes mellitus -The importance of improving community health services to treat the dual problems of medical and mental illnesses in the schizophrenic population Developed to fill a critical gap in the literature, Medical Illness and Schizophrenia is an important volume for any clinician who encounters patients with chronic severe mental illness. In addition, it serves to underscore the need to provide integrated medical and psychiatric care to this vulnerable population.

Medical Illness and Schizophrenia, Second Edition, is the only clinical guide exclusively on the treatment of medical comorbidities among patients with schizophrenia. Like its best-selling predecessor, this new, expanded edition compiles the latest research and clinical information regarding the crucial task of integrating medical and psychiatric care for the schizophrenic patient. The volume's fifteen chapters cover a wide range of common medical conditions, from obesity, heart disease, and diabetes to substance abuse and smoking. This edition also includes important new chapters on recent trends, behavioral treatments for weight loss, sexual dysfunction issues, and health outcomes of schizophrenia treatment in children, adolescents, and pregnant and breastfeeding patients. As the only clinical text of its kind, the expanded second edition of Medical Illness and Schizophrenia is an invaluable resource for hospital or community-based psychiatric physicians, family medicine and psychiatry residents, nurses, psychologists, and healthcare professionals. It is a comprehensive, practical manual that serves as a reference for the medical management of severely mentally ill patients across the age spectrum in both inpatient and outpatient settings.