Health behaviour and experiences in health care settings for people with mental-ill health

Abstract Background People with lived experience of mental ill-health (PWLE) are vulnerable to risky health behaviours and to discrimination in healthcare settings. These issues often present barriers in accessing appropriate services and may lead to higher morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to show preliminary results on health behaviour and experiences of discrimination in four European countries (Austria, Greece, Poland and Spain). Methods A total of 209 PWLE participating in an ongoing project on primary cancer prevention were included. Preliminary analyses considered data until April 2025. Participants were adults with self-reported mental ill-health and without history of cancer. Results Mean age of participants was 44.5 years (SD = 12.03, range: 18-76) and 53% identified as male. Most frequently mentioned diagnoses were schizophrenia (31%) and mood disorders (31%). Two thirds were unemployed, on sick leave or receiving a pension. More than half of the participants reported actively drinking alcohol, with 20% doing so at least once a week. 36% of PWLE smoked cigarettes daily and 5% used electronic cigarettes. Alarmingly, 44% of participants felt that they were treated differently in the health care system due to their mental ill-health and 38% had experienced discrimination in health care settings. Most participants rated their quality of life as mediocre (41%) and 36% were (very) unsatisfied with their own health, with a mean value of self-reported health of 61.35 (SD = 19.86, range: 5-100) on a visual-analogue scale. Conclusions Results showed that PWLE report experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings with high proportions being unsatisfied with their own health. Interventions aiming at removing barriers and increasing access to services, such as Patient Navigation, currently tested as part of the CO-CAPTAIN project may provide feasible solutions. The CO-CAPTAIN project is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Programme (GA 101104784). Key messages • PWLE report to feel treated differently and being discriminated in health care settings. • More efforts are needed to promote preventive measures and reduce barriers in access to health care in PWLE.