Risk behaviors leading to physical health among youth having psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Background: People with psychotic illnesses, have high rates of unhealthy lifestyle factors, such as smoking and physical inactivity. The consequences of such risk behaviors can lead to COPD, Cancer, HTN, CAD, obesity, liver cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, infertility, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. The risk for unhealthy life styles is high among young people with psychiatric disorders. The main objective of the study was to assess the physical health risk behaviors in young people with psychiatric disorders. Materials and methods: The data was collected from 62 psychiatric patients recruited by purposive sampling technique from psychiatric wards and OPD and Physical Health Risk Behavior Questionnaire was administered by interview technique. Results: The study findings showed that physical health risk behaviors in young people with psychiatric disorders was low (12.5 ? 6.80). There was significant association between physical health risk behaviors and gender (p=0.001). Conclusion: It is the need of the hour to assess various physical health risk behaviors found in patients with psychiatric disorders to intervene effectively so as to improve the quality of life of the patients and thus contribute to better quality of care received by patients.