BALTIMORE, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of Maryland in Baltimore say people with serious mental illness have higher rates of type 2 diabetes than the general public.
They say such patients' knowledge of diabetes is significantly lower than people who do not suffer from mental illness.
The finding suggests more education about type 2 diabetes is needed for those suffering from serious mental illnesses, said Faith Dickerson, the study's lead author, in the latest issue of the journal Psychosomatics.
The research team, which included the Sheppard Pratt Health System, looked at 201 people both with diabetes and either schizophrenia or a major mood disorder.
It found indications that diabetes knowledge may increase when people who also suffer from serious mental illness are instructed specifically about diabetes.
The authors said it was not clear why people with serious mental illness are more prone to develop type 2 diabetes, but noted such patients tend to be obese. They said possible links are being examined between the use of antipsychotic medicines and the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
