Affecting millions worldwide, depression is not only a mental health challenge but also a potential catalyst for various physical health conditions. When Mumbai resident Neeti Mehra’s mother suffered a stroke, she exhibited none of the conventional risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, or high cholesterol. The cause, as per her neurologist, was depression, which had resulted in her being sedentary for extended periods, leading to clot formation and subsequent stroke.
A vast and recent study corroborates the relationship between depression and increased susceptibility to an array of health conditions. It suggests that individuals struggling with depression and anxiety are at a heightened risk of developing one or more of the 29 identified health conditions, ranging from heart disease and diabetes to bacterial infections, chronic obstructive bronchitis, osteoarthritis, and diseases related to the circulatory system and blood.
Dr. Philipp Frank from the University of London’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, one of the study authors, elucidates that the relationship between depression and physical illnesses can be examined from two perspectives. One view suggests that depression may arise due to the psychological, biological, and social changes accompanying a physical illness. Another proposition is that depression could be an independent risk factor contributing to the development of physical illness.
Indeed, several studies demonstrate that individuals with severe medical conditions have an amplified risk of developing depression. Frank’s study supports this claim, highlighting that people hospitalized due to poisonings, falls, diseases or symptoms of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and musculoskeletal systems, and severe infections, are more likely to develop depression compared to individuals who haven’t been hospitalized due to these conditions.
Intriguingly, the research also provides growing evidence suggesting depression may act as an independent risk factor for discrete physical ailments. Frank’s study revealed that individuals with moderately severe or severe depression have a 1.5 times higher risk of developing 29 different conditions affecting multiple organs. This highlights the pervasive impact of depression on physical health, not restricted to a specific body area or disease category.
Furthermore, people with depression were seven times more likely to be hospitalized due to endocrine and related internal organ diseases, such as diabetes or obesity, than due to mental or behavioral disorders. The study did not delve into why serious mental illness might affect physical health and render an individual susceptible to disease. Still, several plausible mechanisms have been proposed, including lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diet, as well as prolonged exposure to increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Effective treatment of depression may alleviate the detrimental physical health consequences associated with the condition. It’s vital to seek help promptly if an individual is battling depression and/or anxiety, which often occur concurrently.
Katrine Cheng, a therapist at Mindbloom in Hong Kong and a member of the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association, believes that it’s essential to find the therapy that works best for an individual. Cognitive behavioural therapy, emotionally focused therapy, or family (systemic) therapy could be some of the options. While medications don’t cure mental health problems, they can ease the distressing symptoms, providing reprieve for individuals to discover the right therapy and develop coping tools.
Cheng emphasizes the role of family members in supporting sufferers, encouraging them to get the necessary help and providing attentive listening to avoid relapses. Self-care during a struggle with mental illness, which includes exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, regulating alcohol intake, ensuring good quality sleep, and managing stress, is crucial yet challenging.
Lastly, Frank underscores the importance of managing physical health conditions, particularly high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity, that could put individuals at higher risk for developing depression, thereby highlighting the interconnectedness of mental and physical health.
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