Comorbidity in Physical and Mental Health
There is a close and bidirectional relationship between physical and mental health (Prince et al., 2007), which often co-occur together (comorbidity). People who have a long-term physical health problem have a greater risk of developing mental health conditions; and similarly those who have mental health conditions have a higher risk of a range of physical illnesses (Moussavi et al., 2007). Both physical and mental ill health occur on a spectrum (The Strategy Unit, 2018). People may face a mixture of psychological and physical symptoms without necessarily having a diagnosis of co-morbidity.
Figure 85: A model showing examples of how physical and mental ill health can interact. Source: NHS Improvement
This sub-section will explore:
- the links between physical health and common mental health conditions
- the physical health of people with severe mental illnesses (SMI)
It is closely linked to the previous sub-section on Smoking and Health Behaviours.
Evidence base for prevention
There is moderate evidence around programmes aimed at improving mental health outcomes for people with long-term health conditions (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2022b). For example, psychosocial interventions have been shown to give modest improvements in both blood sugar control and mental health (Harkness et al., 2010).
References
Full list of references is included at the end of this chapter.