To understand the potential effects of various types of communication difficulties on people with serious mental illness (SMI)
To assist in assessing and managing the communication needs of people with SMI, and in making appropriate referrals to speech and language therapy services
To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)
To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)
Effective communication is essential to maintain mental health and resilience. Communication can be challenging for people who experience serious mental illness (SMI), which can be a barrier to social, employment and educational opportunities, as well as increasing their risk of experiencing abuse. Therefore, it is important that nurses who work with individuals experiencing SMI understand the assessment and management of specific communication, speech and language needs. This article focuses on five areas of communication, speech and language – receptive language, expressive language, speech, social communication and swallowing – to increase nurses’ confidence in assessing communication needs and making appropriate referrals to speech and language therapy services. The authors also suggest therapeutic interventions that nurses can use to reduce the effects of speech and language difficulties among people with SMI.
People with serious mental illness (SMI) are at risk of dying many years earlier than the general population. Providing an effective, cost-efficient healthcare service requires a holistic approach, and improving the physical health of people with SMI should be integral to all healthcare roles. It is important for nurses to identify and understand the barriers that people with SMI may experience when accessing physical healthcare. A range of factors contribute to reduced life expectancy, including lifestyle factors, symptoms of mental illness and the side effects of medications. This article discusses four areas of health that commonly affect people with SMI: metabolic syndrome, smoking, oral health and sexual health. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that increase an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Smoking is increasingly prevalent in people with SMI, with rates remaining steady despite a decline in smoking rates nationally. Oral health and sexual health can negatively affect the physical health and well-being of people with SMI; however, these aspects of health are often neglected. This article identifies ways that nurses in all practice settings can use health promotion, assessment and treatment to improve the physical health of people with SMI in relation to these four areas.