How Might Depression Impact Other Medical Illnesses?
Depression can significantly impact other medical illnesses by aggravating existing conditions and increasing the risk of developing new chronic diseases. Here are some critical ways depression affects other medical conditions:
- Aggravation of Comorbidities: Depression can worsen the symptoms and outcomes of medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and coronary artery disease [3]. This is often due to decreased adherence to treatment plans and lifestyle changes that are beneficial for managing these conditions.
- Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases: Individuals with depression are at a higher risk of developing certain chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, chronic pain, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease [1]. This increased risk may be attributed to factors such as poor diet, reduced physical activity, and changes in physiological functions like chronic inflammation and altered stress hormone regulation.
- Impact on Health Behaviors: Depression can lead to challenges in maintaining healthy behaviors, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet, which are crucial for managing chronic conditions or maintaining medical treatment regimens. Additionally, depression can adversely affect getting medical care, potentially delaying the diagnosis and treatment of other health issues.
It’s important to recognize that clinically important depressive illness is more than “just feeling sad.” It’s a condition that affects us physically by disrupting sleep, energy, and concentration; and affects us emotionally by disrupting our mood, our motivation, and our sense of hope or optimism.
In fact, for many people, sadness isn’t even part of the illness. Often, the major impact is a loss of experience of joy or anticipation, leading to apathy, a loss of initiative, and a feeling that things don’t matter.
As a result, things like managing medical conditions or attending to unusual symptoms go without being done because they no longer feel important or meaningful. Overall, recognizing and managing depression is crucial for improving outcomes in patients with other medical illnesses.
Sources:
- Understanding the Link Between Chronic Disease and Depression (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health).
- Depression (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression).
- Major Depressive Disorder (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559078/).
- Depression (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression).