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General practice interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in patients with severe mental illness: A scoping review

Muthuraman AK, Ravichandran N, Murphy N, Broughan J, Niarchou E, O'Donoghue B, Gallagher J, McDonald K et al.

PloS one, 2026

Abstract

Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI), including bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia, face significantly increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Common CVD risk factors in these populations comprise health behaviours such as smoking and poor diet, and physical factors, including diabetes mellitus, obesity and dyslipidaemia. Thus, there is a need to identify interventions to prevent CVD in SMI patients, for which general practice may be ideal for delivery. This scoping review aimed to explore the interventions to reduce CVD risk in patients with SMI in primary care, with a focus on general practice.

Methods: This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's six-step methodological framework, barring step six - consultation. A systematic search was performed across four electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, APA PsycINFO and CINAHL, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Narrative synthesis was conducted to identify key themes informed by the Popay et al. framework.

Results: A total of 10 studies were included in the final analysis. Five themes were identified, namely (1) Primary Care Interventions, (2) Intervention Implementation, (3) Collaborative or Intermediary Structures, (4) Barriers and Facilitators, and (5) Participant Experiences and Viewpoints. Identified intervention types included tailored behavioural…

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