Can Poor Physical Health Lead To Mental Illness In Adults?
As per the research, chronic physical diseases are more likely to cause major mental disorders. In contrast, chronically ill individuals feel anxiety and depression twice as intensely as the general crowd. Co-occurring mental and physical illnesses can worsen health outcomes, reduce the quality of life, and prolong the illness duration as well.
A study found that being in good psychological health can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Numerous chronic diseases and depression have been known to be connected. Diabetes, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis are a few of these diseases.
Diabetes and depression
People with mental health issues have noticeably higher diabetes rates. Depression and schizophrenia affect how responsive the body is to insulin, which makes their risk factors for type 2 diabetes rise up. In contrast, people with diabetes experience diagnosed mental diseases at a rate that is almost twice as high as someone without diabetes. A high prevalence of anxiety symptoms is prevalent in forty per cent of diabetic patients.
People who have diabetes go through intense emotional stress that can harmfully impact one's mental health. Diabetes patients' development of depression is also correlated with the physiological effects of high blood sugar levels. Co-existing diabetes, poor mental health, and mental diseases can make it tough to exercise self-care, raise blood sugar levels, and generally deteriorate mental and physical health if left untreated.
Heart ailments and stress
Serious mental illness is known to be accompanied by increased blood pressure, elevated levels of adrenaline and stress hormones, and an increase in heart rate. Additionally connected to the emergence of an irregular cardiac rhythm are antipsychotic drugs. These physical alterations markedly increase the risk of heart disease in patients with mental issues.
In contrast, people with cardiac disease have a much higher incidence of depression. When compared to those who do not have cardiac issues, those with heart disease are three times more likely to develop depression. After a stroke, depression is another common complication. Heart disease and mental illness co-occurring contribute to poorer health status and greater rates of healthcare consumption. Similar studies have demonstrated that psychological anxiety slows stroke recovery and raises the chance of a stroke.
Respiratory disorders
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and asthma are among the chronic respiratory diseases that are much more likely to develop in people with serious mental problems. Smoking has frequently been linked to respiratory ailments as a risk factor. Due in part to smoking's historical acceptance in psychiatric facilities, nicotine's effect on symptom control, and smoking's advantageous social elements, people with mental illnesses smoke at high rates. The prevalence of smoking and respiratory issues can also be due to social factors.
