lecture 11 - mental-physical comorbidity in adults

Question 1

What is mental-physical comorbidity?

Answer 1

Co-concurrence of mental disorders and physical disorders at greater than chance level. I.e. having a mental disorder increases the chance of developing certain physical diseases, or vice versa.

Question 2

What are the 3 key causal mechanisms of the development of a mental disorder due to physical disease?

Answer 2

1.) physiological mechanisms (shock, anxiety distress) from life threatening or disabling conditions
2.) prescribed medications with depressive/other side effects
3.) biological mechanisms that cause changes in the brain that lead to mental disorder, such as depression.

Question 3

What is the trend in the development of physical disease after mental disorder, according to the World Mental Health Survey?

Answer 3

1.) a wide range of mental disorders are assocaited with increased risk of developing certain physical conditions
2.) the greater the number of mental diagnoses, they greater the odds of physical disease
3.) the earlier the onset of mental diagnosis, the greater the likelihood of physical disease

Question 4

What are the 3 key causal mechanisms of the development of physical disease due to mental disorder?

Answer 4

1.) lifestyle behaviours, such as smoking, alcoholism, poor sleep are common in mental disorders
2.) biological pathways or stress and inflammatory responses can cause disease
3.) medications used to treat mental disorder such as antipsychotics can cause disease such as obesity.