A study released today on Friday suggests New Zealanders with mental illness also have worse physical health than those in the general population.
The study is published in the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal.
The researchers say there is ample international evidence suggesting the physical health of those with serious mental illness is often worse than that of others, and they set out to see if that was the case in New Zealand.
They surveyed 404 adult mental health patients in Auckland about weight, exercise, diet, smoking and drug use.
The researchers found the mental health patients abstained from alcohol more often than others, but had higher rates of obesity, poorer eating habits, did less physical exercise and were more likely to smoke.
Those who drank did so more heavily.
The researchers conclude mental health consumers can not be stereotyped in relation to their physical health.
