The link between mental health and physical health is emphasized in a comprehensive study by Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge. According to the research, psychiatric patients are significantly more prone to multiple physical health conditions, highlighting the urgent need for integrated mental and physical healthcare.
Psychiatric patients almost twice as likely to have multiple physical ailments – new study.
A collaboration between Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the University of Cambridge’s Biomedical Research Centre has resulted in a groundbreaking study on the physical health of psychiatric patients. This extensive analysis involved aggregated data from 19 different studies, covering 194,123 psychiatric patients globally compared to 7,660,590 individuals in control groups.
Findings on Multimorbidity
The study revealed that psychiatric patients are 1.84 times more likely to report multimorbidity compared to the control group. Multimorbidity refers to the presence of a combination of chronic diseases alongside at least one other physical health condition.
Additionally, it was found that individuals with severe mental health issues also suffer from various physical conditions, including metabolic diseases, hypertension, epilepsy, respiratory, vascular, kidney, and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as cancer.
Global Mental Health Concerns
As of 2019, nearly one billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder, positioning it as a leading cause of disability. According to Mind, a mental health charity in England, one in four people experience some form of mental health problem each year. This underscores the significance of addressing mental health concerns on a global scale.
Past research has demonstrated that a large percentage of individuals in need of mental health services lack access to effective, affordable, and quality mental healthcare, especially in low-income countries. For instance, 71% of individuals with psychosis worldwide do not receive necessary mental health services, with a notable imbalance between high-income and low-income countries.
Expert Insights
Professor Lee Smith, a lead author and expert in Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), commented on the study’s implications, emphasizing the elevated risk of physical multimorbidity in individuals with severe mental illness. He stressed the urgent need for a holistic approach to improve the outcomes of individuals dealing with severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity.
Reference: “Relationship between severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity: a meta-analysis and call for action” by Damiano Pizzol, Mike Trott, Laurie Butler, Yvonne Barnett, Tamsin Ford, Sharon AS Neufeld, Anya Ragnhildstveit, Christopher N Parris, Benjamin R Underwood, Guillermo Felipe López Sánchez, Matt Fossey, Carol Brayne, Emilio Fernandez-Egea, Guillaume Fond, Laurent Boyer, Jae Il Shin, Shahina Pardhan and Lee Smith, 1 October 2023, BMJ Ment Health.
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