Mental Health & Chronic Pain
Mental well-being and physical health are more closely related than we may think. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health to be “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The WHO also states that “there is no health without mental health,” emphasizing the importance of mental health and the need for more awareness about mental health problems. There are many associations between chronic physical conditions and mental health problems that have negative effects on people’s quality of life. Poor mental health is a powerful indicator for chronic physical problems. People who have serious mental health problems are also at high risk of chronic physical conditions. The reverse is also true: people with serious chronic physical problems are also at risk of poor mental health.
Understanding the connection between the mind and body is helpful in developing and maintaining physical and mental health. Only then can strategies be made to be a healthy individual, and to offer support to those who already have physical and mental health problems.
When discussing an individual’s well-being, mental health and physical health cannot be thought of seperately. Ever since the NHS was founded in 1948, mental health care and physical care have been disconnected, for the most part. However, with rising awareness about mental health problems, there has been an increasing call for healthcare professionals to consider psychological health when treating a patient’s physical conditions, and vice versa.
There are several ways that poor mental health negatively affects physical health. Depression leads to a 67% increased risk of death from heart disease and a 50% risk of death from cancer. Schizophrenia doubles the risk of death from heart disease and three times the risk of death from respiratory disease.
A factor that may result in these statistics is that people who suffer from mental health conditions are less prone to seek out the receive physical healthcare that they are entitled to and that they need. Mental health service users are less likely to receive routine checks like blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol, which would help in identifying symptoms of physical health problems earlier. They are also less likely to be offered help in making positive adjustments to their life, like quitting smoking and drinking. The truth is, these people who suffer from mental health may be the ones who need help in maintaining physical health the most. People with mental health conditions often suffer from declining physical health, which further deepens their psychological problems, creating a negative spiral of bad health, both physical and mental.
Encouraging positive mental health is often not considered in treating a patient with a physical condition. Psoriasis is one condition in which the harmful effects go beyond just the visible, physical symptoms and has severe consequences to an individual’s mental well-being. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that results in flaky red sores on the skin, and it is often triggered by stress. Approximately a third of people who experience psoriasis also suffer from anxiety and depression. A tenth of psoriasis patients admit to contemplating suicide because of their conditions. However, according to the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD), only 4% of Dermatology Units have access to a counsellor to help with their psychological well-being. Psoriasis shows evidence that physical and mental health are very closely related. Emotionally distressing events can become stimuli that trigger a psoriasis flare. This in turn would cause further distress, leading to a negative feedback loop of worsening mental and physical health for the patient. Psoriasis also is strongly associated with a risk of developing other health conditions. One such example is psoriatic arthritis, which is a painful stiffening of joints that can lead to deformity. Other health conditions linked to psoriasis include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Physicians often focus on healing patients’ physical conditions, but do not provide sufficient treatment for their mental well-being. Although mental health awareness has been rising, much can be done to improve healthcare to be a more holistic treatment that considers both the physical and mental health of an individual.
References:
http://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/connection-between-mental-and-physical-health/
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/p/physical-health-and-mental-health
