• Overview
• Definition
• Incidence, prevalence and trends
• Risk factors
• Health consequences
• Costs
• Contributors

Health Consequences

Overview

The health impacts of mental illness are profound. Some mental illnesses, particularly depression and psychosis, can be seen as potentially fatal conditions leading to increased risk of death from suicide (see also Suicide prevention, Introduction) and other causes. ¹ Also, people without mental illness but who are languishing have been shown to die younger. ²

The health impacts of mental illness in children are beginning to be understood and range from increased risk of smoking to increased depression in adult life. ^{3 4 5} The social impacts are as problematic and include anti-social behaviour and difficult relationships. ^{3 6}

For adults, the health impacts of mental illness are on quality of life, and on a range of body systems – including risk and recovery from ischaemic heart disease and cancer.

For those with severe mental illness, mortality is higher, the risk of chronic fatal diseases higher, diagnosis later, and case fatality higher ¹ .

Health consequences in children

Emotional and behavioural problems in children limit their ability to develop and to engage in healthy parental and sibling relationships. ³ They also predict a range of poor outcomes in adulthood. These include substance abuse, academic problems, impaired social relationships, cigarette smoking, high-risk sexual behaviour, physical health problems, depression in adult life and a thirty-fold increased risk of completed suicide. ^{4 5} Three year old children with disruptive or behavioural problems (known as externalizing problems) are more likely to develop anti-social behaviour at 13 years old. ⁶ Lack of warmth, harsh discipline, ridicule and corporal punishment are associated with aggression, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder in adulthood and lower IQ, particularly in girls. ^{7 8} Negative outcomes of physical punishment are even seen if there is a warm parenting relationship. ⁹

Health consequences in adults

The health impact of poor positive mental health ranges from increased likelihood of catching a cold to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (Table 1). ¹⁰

Mental illness is associated with a 64% increased risk of death over 7 years. ¹¹ Subsequent analysis of this data showed that this effect is mainly attributable to negative responses to questions about satisfaction and enjoyment of life and therefore correlates with the notion of languishing mental health. ¹²

Table 1. Summary of health and social impacts of range of mental health and mental illness states

* Mental illness in this study was defined as major depression

** Subsequent analysis shows that those giving negative answers to the life functioning and satisfaction questions of the GHQ had higher mortality. The odds ratio of death of this group was not given. ¹²

Severe mental illness

The Disability Rights Commission (2006) reported that people with severe mental health problems die on average 5 to 10 years younger than other citizens. Heart disease was increased by 44%, stroke by 88% and diabetes by 280%. Rates of cancer were also increased (breast cancer by 44% and bowel cancer by 90%). In addition to increased rates of fatal disorders, people with severe mental illness were also more likely to be diagnosed later in the condition and to have lower survival rates.