By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Comorbidity of Mental and Physical Illness
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Comorbidity of Mental and Physical Illness
Hospital AdministrationPolicy & Law

Comorbidity of Mental and Physical Illness

DavidEWilliams
Last updated: August 26, 2017 12:22 pm
DavidEWilliams
Share
2 Min Read
SHARE

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Synthesis Project has produced an excellent report and accompanying policy brief entitled Mental disorders and medical comorbidity. The publications provide a variety of insights and policy implications that I believe are right on the money. They transcend partisan positions on health insurance and delivery reform to deliver valuable lessons that can be applied now. The critical finding is as follows: Comorbidity of mental and physical illness is common. 68% of adults with a mental disorder have one or more medical conditions. And 29% with a medical disorder have a mental health comorbidity. There are four reasons why rates of comorbidity are so high:

  1. Both mental illness and chronic medical conditions are common. One in four adults have a mental disorder and almost one in two have a chronic medical condition.
  2. Mental illness is a risk factor for a chronic medical condition and vice versa. For example, the more chronic medical conditions the more likely a patient is to have depression, too.
  3. Causes of mental and physical disorders are interrelated and complicated. For example, pain from illness can lead to depression while major depression is linked to diseases that are characterized by inflammation, e.g., cardiovascular illness.
  4. Early trauma, stress, poverty can lead to both mental and physical problems.

The financial and social costs of comorbidity are very high. The report and brief outline various policy implications of the findings:

  • Health insurance should include mental health coverage
  • Integrated care models such as Accountable Care Organizations and Patient Centered Medical Homes should focus on the integration of medical and mental health care
  • Mental health and substance abuse systems should be incorporated into health information exchanges
  • Primary prevention is imperative to address common risk factors for comorbidity
  • Secondary prevention should include screening for mental health conditions in medical settings and medical issues in mental health settings
TAGGED:health care policy
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

healthcare technology
Technology

Role of Custom Design Services in Modern Healthcare

October 13, 2023

Obama Working Behind the Scenes on Latest Pre-ACA Snafu

August 4, 2013

Track This Bill – Extending the Dependent Care Credit

March 22, 2012
Health careSpecialtiesWellness

Important Health And Safety Precautions For Businesses

January 30, 2019
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?