World Mental Health Day is being marked by a national charity with an event in Swindon, to raise awareness of the physical health needs of people with mental illness.

The event by Rethink Mental Illness, at the Pilgrim Centre on Friday from 1pm to 5pm, will offer people the chance to find out about how looking after their physical health can improve their mental wellbeing.

There will be opportunities to take part in Mindfulness sessions and gentle exercise classes, plus mini-massages.

The event will also give people the chance to have a “physical health check”, using new tools developed by Rethink Mental Illness.

It is part of a national day of action by the charity to highlight the fact that people with severe mental illness die on average 20 years earlier than the general population. This is mostly from preventable physical illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.

The event will also showcase new tools developed by the charity to help mental health professionals improve the physical health of the people they work with.

Donna Huff of Rethink Mental Illness said: “Very few people realise that if you have a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, your life expectancy is reduced by around 20 years. People with schizophrenia are twice as likely to die from heart disease, and two to three times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. “It really is a disgrace that in the 21st century people with mental illness have the same life expectancy as people in the 1920s.”

“We want to encourage health professionals to use the free resources we’ve developed to look after people’s physical health.”