i haven't heard the radio broadcast but if it's npr a podcast should be available.
i assume the npr statistics are correct. i do not accept your reasoning as to why this happens: i have my own strongly held opinions about this.
1) mentally ill people are poorer than the rest of the population because they are largely underemployed and unemployed.
2) mentally ill people need specialized doctors to deal with the side effects of their psychopharmacological treatments.
2a) their dentistry is worse due to dry mouth (from anti-parkinsonians). excessive plaque build-ups have been linked to heart attacks.
2b) they need good endrocrinologists. because there are hormonal problems linked to the use of anti-depressants.
2c) many mentally ill people are morbidly obese due to the lifestyle of weight gain associated with their medicines and excessive sleep.
3) many mentally ill people don't have a healthy diet because they can't afford it.
we can all benefit from talking about this and not blaming our p-docs for our problems. hospitals don't often encourage active lifestyles for the mentally ill because they need to avoid being sued for exercise machine injuries,e.g.
and most of us are too tired to work out.
i would love to hear from anyone here who has thoughts about this.
-pi