People’s lives can be greatly impacted by poor mental health, which has become increasingly prevalent in youth, working people and in old age also.
One of the most shocking statistics is that having a mental illness can shorten your life expectancy by 10 to 20 years. Psychological factors play a role in the impact of our physical and mental health, and vice versa.
BUT WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
“Lifestyle change, Earning a living has become more challenging than before, Ego has taken over kindness and much more. We have studied these factors deeply and have illustrated 4 major health conditions that are linked with our mental health.
Backed with Four International Studies, It is evident that mental health can adversely affect our physical health. The studies emphasize on how effective mental health treatments can have a positive impact on the whole body..”
Severe mental illness and heart disease
According to King’s College London, there is an association between mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, and cardiovascular disease. As the largest study of its kind, researchers analysed the data of 3.2 million people with severe mental illness and found they had a 53% higher risk of heart attack than those without mental illness.
Depression, anxiety and cancer mortality rates
Early this year, a study made headlines for discovering a link between mental distress and cancer mortality. University College London, Edinburgh University, and the University of Sydney researchers examined 16 population-based studies for their study.
Researchers evaluated the mental health of people who hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer using questionnaires, which indicated depression and anxiety levels. Following up on those people over a ten-year average period, they looked at their health conditions, or if dead then whether died of cancer or any other ailment – if so, then recording data of the type of cancer they died of. The researchers used a set of variables to correct for potential distortions of data, such as age, sex, body mass index, education, smoking, and alcohol use.
Diabetes and depression
The link between diabetes and depression has been revealed by studies – but more research is needed to fully explain exactly how they are linked. Studies have shown that people with both diabetes and depression have worse symptoms than those with only diabetes.
Those with both conditions had an 85% greater risk for experiencing a heart attack, according to another study. Researchers have indicated that it is important to find people most at risk and monitor their cardiovascular health.
Schizophrenia and Osteoporosis
An individual with osteoporosis has a low bone mass, which makes them brittle and more likely to break. The findings of studies have suggested that schizophrenia increases the risk of hip fractures and schizophrenia increases the risk of developing the condition. In 2013, a review was conducted that examined multiple studies to understand the prevalence of low bone density and osteoporosis. An analysis of the study found the odds of having low bone density almost doubled in people with schizophrenia – and most people with schizophrenia will also have low bone mass and osteoporosis.
There are many similar studies that demonstrate the link between mental and physical health. Dr Sam’s research stresses the importance of integrating mental health into prescriptions for other conditions. Our mental, as well as our physical, wellbeing could be greatly enhanced if mental illnesses were effectively treated, and one day even prevented