scholarly journals Comorbidity indices: a call for the integration of physical and mental health

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (01) ◽  
pp. 96-98
Author(s):  
Molly A. Nowels ◽  
Lynn M. VanderWielen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Comorbidity Index

Comorbidity indices are commonly used in health services research as a measure of, or as a control for, the severity of a person’s medical state. Currently, there is not a comorbidity index for mental health diagnoses, despite the fact that almost half of Americans have a diagnosable mental health condition at least once in their lifetime. This commentary calls for the integration of mental and behavioral health in comorbidity indices to appropriately account for the role of mental health in overall morbidity and mortality.

scholarly journals An Overview and Proposed Research Framework for Studying Co-Occurring Mental- and Physical-Health Dysfunction

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 633-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Hagerty ◽  
Jarrod M. Ellingson ◽  
Timothy B. Helmuth ◽  
L. Cinnamon Bidwell ◽  
Kent E. Hutchison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Irritable Bowel ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Mental- and physical-health conditions co-occur at a rate much higher than chance. Of patients who have a mental-health condition, more than half also have a physical disease, and these cases are associated with increased human suffering and societal cost. Comorbidity research to date has focused on co-occurring mental- and physical-health disorders separately, and relatively little research has examined the co-occurrence of mental- and physical-health dysfunction. In addition, even less is known about why mental- and physical-health dysfunction co-occurs or how to treat these cases. Thus, the aims of this article are to highlight the need for research at the intersection of physical- and mental-health dysfunction and to provide guidance on how to research cases of comorbidity. Toward these ends, we begin by presenting a selective overview of the possible role of biological processes in the co-occurrence of physical- and mental-health dysfunction using specific illustrative examples. Specifically, we outline how biological processes within the immune system and gastrointestinal system could underlie depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and their co-occurrence. We then advance and discuss a proposed research framework, including methodological and analytic guidance, that researchers could use when studying the phenomenon of co-occurring physical- and mental-health dysfunction.

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