Physical Healthcare for People with a Severe Mental Illness in Belgium by Long-Term Community Mental Health Outreach Teams: A Qualitative Descriptive Study on Physicians’, Community Mental Health Workers’ and Patients’ Perspectives

Background: People with a severe mental illness (pSMI) often have comorbid physical health problems, resulting in a lower life expectancy compared to the global population. In Belgium, it remains unclear how to approach health disparities in pSMI in a community setting. This study explores the perspectives of both care professionals and patients on physical healthcare in Belgian community mental services, aiming to identify good practices, barriers and points of improvement. Methods: An exploratory qualitative design that used a semi-structured focus group interview with physicians combined wi... Mehr ...