People with depression have up to a 36% greater risk of coronary heart disease, while depression, stress and dissatisfaction can increase the risk of stroke by 39%, reveals a study by the Order of Psychologists (OPP) released today.
With the study “OPP Scientific Contribution – The Impact of Mental Health on Physical Health”, released today on World Mental Health Day, the OPP wants to encourage reflection on the mental health problems that lead to physical illnesses.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, OPP vice-president Sofia Ramalho said that "very little has been said about the impacts of physical illness on mental health" and vice versa.
«We have a number of physical illnesses in Portugal [such as diabetes or strokes] that are a concern. And we have, at the same time, a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety than what happens in the European Union. Still little is said about physical and mental health as integrated levels of health», he pointed out.
Sofia Ramalho lamented what she considers to be the country's negligence on this issue, recalling: «the price of this negligence does not only fall on our physical well-being, it also falls on the economy itself. It is highly irresponsible that the Government does not take action on this fact».
According to the OPP study, depression, stress and anxiety increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease by up to 36% and there is an increased risk of between 26% and 46% of developing coronary heart disease.
The risk of suffering a stroke also increases by 39% and there is a 35% increase in the risk of having a heart attack, as well as a 17% increase in the risk of dying from a heart problem and a 35% increase in the diagnosis of a physical illness. .
The relationship between mental illness and physical illness is influenced by multiple behavioral factors such as physical activity, obesity, alcohol consumption, as well as psychological factors such as negative affectivity and lack of motivation.
There are social factors, such as living in poverty.
For the OPP, “integrated health responses are necessary, responses that consider the interdependence of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological and social factors and their impacts on physical and mental health”.
Thus, the document released today includes recommendations such as investing in pro-health public policies or early intervention in mental health.
Universal access to psychological interventions is another recommendation, as well as funding research in health psychology or the prevention of psychosocial risks in organizations.
«Portugal spends millions on the consequences of chronic diseases, for example diabetes, but, on the other hand, underestimates the role of psychological stress. It is crucial that the State itself invests in research into the true cost of the disease to invest in its prevention», said Sofia Ramalho.
To Lusa, the vice-president of the OPP argued that «public policies must also be evidenced in psychological science so that prevention and promotion strategies can be defined, for example, of behaviors that are more friendly to healthy or favorable lifestyles. adaptation to the disease and mitigating the impacts of the disease».
The vice-president of the OPP also proposed the implementation of multi-level models in primary health care because this organization would allow access to psychological care to be universal and based on needs.
In this sense, the answers for users would be much more focused on their situations.
«I think there is always a great concern from the State with economic issues, but there is no true economy without health prevention», he concluded.
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