Correlations: Mental & Physical Health
"Mental illness is the third most costly medical condition"
("Which Medical Conditions Account for the Rise in Health Care Spending?" study by Thorpe, Florence & Joski, reported in August 2004 issue of Health Affairs)
"50 – 70% of usual visits to primary care physicians are for medical complaints that stem from psychological factors"
"Anxiety and depression are among the six most common conditions seen in family practice" "Mental disorders are often more disabling than chronic physical illnesses including high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems (e.g., ulcers) and even diabetes"
"Patients with mental disorders are heavy users of medical services, averaging 2 times as many visits to their primary care physicians as patients without mental disorders."
"Cost offset studies show a decrease in total health care costs following mental health interventions even when the cost of the intervention is included." (aforementioned quotations from the American Psychological Association (APA), 2003)
"Individuals receiving psychotherapy reduced physician’s office visits 47.1%, used 48.6% fewer prescriptions, had 45.3% fewer emergency visits and had a decreased frequency of hospital stays by 66.7%"
"Early intervention is less costly than treatment…it attempts to assist employees in identifying problems in the early stages, and provides resources for them to take action. Expensive psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other professional counselors will not be needed or needed as extensively when problems are identified prior to reaching crisis proportions"
"…for every $1 spent on self-care, $2.50 was saved in medical costs" (aforementioned quotations from Industrial psychologist John Weaver, Psy.D., citing compiled data from 58 comprehensive studies, 2001)
"Five out of the 10 leading causes of disability in developing countries are mental disorders…by 2020, it is estimated that depressive illnesses will become the second leading cause of disease burden worldwide and the leading cause of disease burden in developed countries"
(World Health Organization and Harvard University comprehensive assessment "The Global Burden of Diseases" in 1990 projected to 2020)
