(Aug. 17, 2015) Andrea Cooke and Jeanette Hanson were best friends who took care of each other and shared everything, including a mental health diagnosis of schizophrenia (“25 years too early: How mental illness kills,” WBEZ, Aug. 12).
Hanson regularly attended an Illinois-based mental health clinic for therapy and help filling out paperwork and making doctors’ appointments.
But when the clinic closed along with six others in 2012, she was suddenly left without much-needed care.
“Jeanette really depended on that clinic,” said Cooke. “And she stopped taking very good care of herself when it closed.”
Hanson began cycling in and out of hospitals. One night, she showed up on her best friend’s doorstep, delusional, and Cooke decided to take her in.
But soon it became clear that Hanson needed more help than her friend could provide. She had stopped taking her prescribed psychiatric medication and urged Cooke to do the same.
“She told me she didn’t believe I had schizophrenia. So she went into my room and took all my medication and hid it,” said Cooke.
Cooke says Hanson eventually moved back to her own apartment. She was later found dead from cardiovascular disease at age 66.
Jeanette’s inability to take care of her medical needs is not uncommon among people with serious mental illness.
Research has shown a strong link between mental and physical health.
The World Health Organization estimates “there is up to a 10-25 year life expectancy reduction in people with severe mental disorders.” Further, the majority of these premature deaths are due to preventable, physical medical conditions.
Stories like Hanson’s are a reminder that physical and mental health are not separate. Untreated severe mental illness can cause much unnecessary suffering, whereas effective treatment can decrease disability, prolong survival and increase quality of life.
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