Novel research approaches to improve outcomes among people aging with serious mental illnesses

There is a growing need to improve health outcomes among people aging with schizophrenia due to the rapidly increasing population and unique health challenges. Middle-aged and older people with schizophrenia have unique needs compared to first-episode or clinical high-risk populations and often do not garner the same benefits from interventions developed and tested for younger and less chronic populations. The cumulative effects of neuroleptic medications, lifestyle factors such as smoking and sedentary behaviors, and longstanding cognitive deficits impact outcomes in this group.