Physical health of patients with severe mental illness: an intervention on medium secure forensic unit.

Purpose: Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) treated with antipsychotic medication are at increased risk of metabolic side-effects like weight gain, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemia. This study aims to examine the feasibility of maintaining a physical health monitoring sheet in patients' records and its impact on physical health of patients with SMI, over a period of one year.

Design/methodology/approach: A physical health monitoring sheet was introduced in all the patients' records on a 15-bedded male medium secure forensic psychiatric rehabilitation unit, as a prompt to regularly monitor physical health parameters.