Millions of Aussies Battling Physical and Mental Illness

Millions of Aussies Battling Physical and Mental Illness

An alarming report by the Australian Health Policy Collaboration (AHPC) at Victoria University has revealed millions of Aussies (2.4 million in fact) are living with a combination of physical and mental illness.
 
The report revealed that people experiencing chronic conditions have a higher risk of also developing a mental health condition – and vice versa.
 
Delving deeper, it showed a correlation between poor physical and mental health, and wellbeing, health costs, work productivity, employment and even socialising.

Aussie health stats in detail

Let’s take a closer look at what the report revealed:

Men with mental health conditions:

52% more likely to have a circulatory system disease
74% more likely to have back problems

Women with mental health conditions:

41% more likely to have a circulatory system disease
68% more likely to have back problems
 
Women were also 23% more likely to have both a mental and physical condition, compared to men.

What does this all mean?

Allan Fels, an advisory member to the AHPC said, “We know there is strong evidence about the negative impact of mental health problems for people who already have chronic physical conditions, and equally strong evidence that having a mental health problem increases the risk of every single major chronic disease.”
 
The report stated that people who experience mental illness should have their physical health checked regularly, since they are at higher risk of many conditions.
 
The report also states that "improving the physical health of people living with mental health conditions, and conversely, the mental health of people living with physical health conditions, must become a priority to improve the health of all Australians.
 
“People with chronic health conditions such as heart conditions, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, asthma and cancer should also be assessed regularly for mental health issues to target prevention and early intervention.”
 
Be sure to speak with your healthcare professional if you are experiencing a mental ill health – or a combination of mental and physical illness. That way, you can get the support you need as early as possible.