In the United States, an estimated 68 percent of adults with a mental health affliction have at least one concurrent medical condition and 29 percent of people with medical conditions have a behavioral mental health disorder, according to a 2011 health policy brief by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. With the general population’s access to services often limited by availability, financial constraint, or stigma, these totals may be understated.
This medical and behavioral health comorbidity, which is the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases that encompass both mental health and medical conditions, can be due to causality, environmental risks factors, or even to chance. A 2008 report in the American Journal of Medicine by Dr. Wayne Katon addressed comorbidity of type 2 diabetes and depression, indicating that each condition can influence the other.
For example, depression has a direct negative effect on glucose metabolism and may increase insulin resistance … Read the rest