Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40767858›Full record

ArticleHealth expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2025

'It Is Like a Cross-Stitch … All Joined Together But Not Making a Very Nice Pattern': A Qualitative Study of Patient Perspectives on Physical Health Inequalities in Severe Mental Illness.

Tassia Kate Oswald, Stan Papoulias, Julie Williams, Jayati Das-Munshi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Tassia Kate OswaldDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1686-7077
Stan PapouliasService User Research Enterprise, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Julie WilliamsCentre for Mental Health Policy and Evaluation, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Jayati Das-MunshiDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3913-6859

Funding

This project was supported through a fellowship awarded to J.D., funded by the Health Foundation working together with the Academy of Medical Sciences, as a Clinician Scientist Fellowship. J.D. has received funding from the ESRC through the Centre for Society and Mental Health at King's College London (ESRC Reference: ES/S012567/1) and is in receipt of funding from UK Research and Innovation funding for the Population Mental Health Consortium (Grant no. MR/Y030788/1), which is part of Population Health Improvement UK (PHI-UK), a national research network which works to transform health and reduce inequalities through change at the population level. T.K.O. was also funded via the Population Mental Health Consortium (Grant no. MR/Y030788/1), PHI-UK. 'S.P. is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration South London (NIHR ARC South London) at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the author[s] and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.'
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople with severe mental illness (SMI) have worse physical health than the general population and face a range of challenges with their healthcare. This study aimed to explore the interplay of issues across system, service, social and individual levels that impact healthcare experiences and outcomes from the perspective of people with comorbid SMI and physical health needs.

methodsA qualitative study was conducted. Fifteen individuals participated through focus groups and interviews (mean age = 55 years; range = 39-74 years). Participants were secondary mental health service users living with comorbid SMI and physical health condition(s) in South East London, the United Kingdom. Data were analysed through a process of inductive thematic analysis with reflexive elements.

resultsSeven themes were generated, demonstrating the interplay of system, service, social and individual-level issues. The first two focused on prevailing issues described by participants, including 'systemic barriers to effective and equitable social and health care' and 'interpersonal stigma exacerbating inequalities'. The third and fourth themes described the consequences of these issues: 'services turning to medication in response to multiple constraints' and 'inequities limiting individual actions'. Themes 5 and 6 centred on creating equitable conditions for people with SMI and physical healthcare needs, including 'the role of informal and formal social supports' and 'patient perspectives on what works in health services'. The seventh cross-cutting theme described the 'intertwined nature of mental and physical health'. IMPLICATIONS: This study highlights systemic barriers and interpersonal stigma as sources of inequality for people with comorbid SMI and physical health needs. The findings highlight the need for investment in social and healthcare roles, services and systems which can be responsive to compounding risks experienced by these individuals. Both physical and mental health needs, and their interactions, should be considered, along with the cumulative impact of poor socio-economic conditions and stressors. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A service user steering group, comprising five people with lived experience of SMI, was convened to support the study. The group met to inform the development of research questions, topic guides and participant materials, support the interpretation of findings, and provide input on the paper.

Indexed as

Healthcare DisparitiesHealth Status DisparitiesMental DisordersAdultAgedFemaleFocus GroupsHealth Services AccessibilityHumansInterviews as TopicLondonMaleMental Health ServicesMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSocial Stigmabarrierscomorbidityphysical healthcarequalitativeservice usesevere mental illness

Identifiers

PMID40767858
PMCPMC12327068

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.