How are physical and mental health connected?

Physical and mental health are interconnected in various ways. Firstly, many mental disorders have physiological components, including genetic predispositions and changes in hormones, as well as alterations in brain function.

Also, many diseases are followed by mental disorders, and many diseases and states allow situations that are good for the development of mental disorders.

According to one study, in comparison with the general population, patients who suffer from serious mental disorders have generally lower life expectancy by 10 – 25 years. This frightening statistic speaks to the necessary urgency with which medical institutions and governing bodies need to react across the world.

Among the many factors that increase the mortality rate of people who suffer from serious mental disorders is the presence of comorbid physical illnesses. These physical illnesses are most often cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, cancers, and others.

Depression is connected to many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and arthritis. Schizophrenia is also connected to increased risks of heart disease as well as respiratory diseases.

Mental disorders also make it harder to face and act on existing physical illnesses.

Problems with sleep are persistent in those who suffer from mental disorders; up to 50 – 80% of those diagnosed will have some sort of problems with sleep, while in the healthy population, this percentage is only around 10 – 18%.

Problems with mental health and mental disorders also create a higher vulnerability to misuse of psychoactive substances (link), which dramatically affects physical health, especially in the presence of other diseases.

It can be assumed that the separation of psychiatry from other branches of medicine, as well as the lack of attention that psychiatrists provide when physical symptoms are in question, can partially be blamed for this. The stigma that follows psychiatry and mental health in general is still present in healthcare systems around the world; this often makes adequate cooperation difficult.

What can be done about this?

Taking mental health, as well as physical health, seriously is a necessity. States and disorders can make each other worse and thus make treatment longer and harder. If you are fearful of physical problems or diseases, seek advice from your doctor or healthcare expert; if you doubt that you might have a mental disorder, you can seek help from a psychiatrist or psychologist.

There are some things you can do that can help with both physical and mental health. it is necessary to understand that these things aren’t a substitute for any kind of therapy in the case of serious illness or a disorder, but are things that can generally positively affect health and problem prevention.

Some of them include:

• Physical activity: research has shown that physical activity and regular exercise improve physical and mental health. Regular exercise has a preventive effect on cardiovascular diseases, some forms of cancer, peripheral artery disease, and fibromyalgia, but with mental disorders as well, such as depression (link), substance abuse disorder, and anxiety disorders.
• Healthy diet: an unhealthy diet is one of the leading causes of disease worldwide, mainly cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. A healthy diet allows you to obtain the required nutrients which allows the healthy functioning of both the body and the brain, better regulation of mood, positive influence on mental clarity and attention. Diet can affect the development and prevention of mental disorders such as depression and dementia.
• Avoiding alcohol and tobacco: recreational consumption of alcohol and tobacco, as well as other psychoactive substances, significantly affects health in a negative way. It might lead to short-term pleasure, but it can have many negative consequences in the long run, such as the development of diseases and worsening the development of many mental disorders.

Written by: Bachelor of Psychology, Aleksa Holcer

Diet and mental health. (n.d.). Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/diet-and-mental-health

Fiorillo, A., De Girolamo, G., Simunovic, I. F., Gureje, O., Isaac, M., Lloyd, C., Mari, J., Patel, V., Reif, A., Starostina, E., Summergrad, P., & Sartorius, N. (2023). The relationship between physical and mental health: an update from the WPA Working Group on Managing Comorbidity of Mental and Physical Health. World Psychiatry, 22(1), 169–170. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21055

Mahindru, A., Patil, P., & Agrawal, V. (2023). Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A review. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33475

Physical health and mental health. (n.d.). Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/physical-health-and-mental-health

World Health Organization: WHO. (2019, November 15). Healthy diet. https://www.who.int/health-topics/healthy-diet#tab=tab_1

This text is intended for informational purposes only. If you experience any symptoms, it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.