Adults with a history of depression are found to develop long-term physical conditions approximately 30% more rapidly than those without depression, as revealed by research published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Kelly Fleetwood and her colleagues at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, suggests that depression should be regarded as a condition affecting the whole body. The researchers advocate for integrated approaches to manage mental and physical health concurrently.
Depression, recognised as the most prevalent mental health disorder, is linked to a variety of adverse physical health outcomes, including heart disease and diabetes. Previous studies have compared the health trajectories of individuals with and without depression to gauge the number of physical ailments they develop as they age. However, many of these studies have been limited to a small selection of illnesses. Fleetwood and her team aimed to comprehensively assess the relationship between depression and the rate at which physical conditions accumulate during midlife and later years.
The research team analysed data from 172,556 participants between 40 and 71 years who participated in the UK Biobank study. These volunteers underwent initial assessments from 2006 to 2010. The study monitored 69 physical conditions and followed the participants for an average of 6.9 years. Initially, individuals diagnosed with depression had, on average, three pre-existing physical conditions, compared to two in those without depression. Throughout the study, those with a history of depression developed an additional 0.2 physical conditions per year on average, whereas those without depression developed 0.16 conditions. Notably, the most frequent new conditions identified were osteoarthritis, with 15.7% of those with baseline depression developing it compared to 12.5% of those without, followed by hypertension (12.9% versus 12.0%) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (13.8% versus 9.6%).
These findings underscore that a prior diagnosis of depression is a significant indicator of the risk of acquiring long-term physical health conditions in middle and older age. Current healthcare systems generally focus on treating individual conditions rather than adopting a holistic approach to individuals dealing with multiple health issues concurrently. The researchers argue that adopting integrated methods of managing mental and physical health could substantially enhance care and health outcomes.
Furthermore, the authors emphasise the necessity for healthcare services to adopt a more holistic approach to treating individuals who suffer from both depression and long-term physical health conditions. They argue that existing healthcare infrastructures, which typically address single conditions in isolation, need to be restructured to provide comprehensive care that acknowledges the interconnectedness of mental and physical health. This integrated approach is essential for improving the overall health and quality of life of those affected by both depression and physical health conditions.
More information: Kelly Fleetwood et al, Depression and physical multimorbidity: A cohort study of physical health condition accrual in UK Biobank, PLOS Medicine. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004532
Journal information: PLOS Medicine Provided by PLOS
