There are correlations, sometimes causative, between physical illnesses and mental illnesses. For example, the American Diabetes Association says that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than those without the disease. Diabetics are not alone. After a heart attack or cardiac surgery, patients are naturally likely to feel depressed. But for some, especially those with cardiovascular disease, as many as 15 percent experience major depression. For those who’ve had coronary artery bypass surgery the number is as high as 20 percent.

There may be many reasons why this is so. For some, the fear and sadness triggered by having a debilitating illness, if left unchecked, can develop into major depression. But sometimes the diseases themselves can cause physiological changes that mimic depression, especially in the case of diabetes.

Depression isn’t the only issue. Patients with some conditions, including heart conditions, might be diagnosed with anxiety when the problem is physiological. And some diseases such as mononucleosis can be mistaken for depression or other mental illnesses–and vice versa. Additionally, medicines used to treat conditions can have side effects that cause symptoms of mental illnesses.

Sometimes the answer isn’t clear-cut, and there may even be overlap. That’s why I encourage everyone, especially those struggling with any mental illness, to get a thorough physical at the start of therapy, and at least once a year thereafter.

Comments

This post currently has one comment or trackback.
You can read the comments or leave your own thoughts.

Trackbacks

From Psych Central's website:
Stress, Grief, and Broken Hearts: An Interview with Cardiologist John M. Kennedy, MD | Therapy Soup (March 23, 2010)

    Last reviewed: 15 Mar 2010