London: Those who have major mental health concerns are more likely to have physical ailments such as metabolic diseases, hypertension, epilepsy, respiratory, vascular, kidney, and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as cancer, says a study,
The study involved a thorough examination of data from 1,94,123 psychiatric patients from around the world, with a comparison to 76,60,590 individuals in control groups.
As of 2019, almost one billion individuals worldwide were suffering from a mental disorder, making it the largest cause of disability. According to Mind, a UK site, one in every four persons in England will suffer from a mental health condition at some point during the year.
Lead author Lee Smith, Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Cambridge, said, "Mental health underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships, and shape the world we live in. It is evident from our research that individuals with severe mental illness are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing physical multimorbidity."
Poor clinical management of physical comorbidities in people with mental disorders exacerbates the issue, leading to an increased burden on individuals, their communities, and healthcare systems. A holistic approach is urgently needed to improve the physical, mental, and social outcomes of individuals dealing with severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity, said in study. (with ANI inputs)
