Chronic health conditions, physical illnesses—including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, just to name a few—affect 133 million Americans and account for two-thirds of deaths in the U.S. But for people battling these illnesses, their challenges don’t stop with their physical diagnoses. Up to a third of these patients also experience symptoms of depression while many others struggle with the effects of anxiety.
It’s a double-edged sword. While many patients become depressed or anxious as a result of of their physical conditions, these same illnesses can cause life-threatening mental health conditions. People with an anxiety order have a 26% increased risk for developing coronary heart disease and 48% greater risk of cardiac death. And a full-blown panic attack triples a woman’s risk of a coronary event or stroke.
This is why a system of integrated healthcare is critical to the way we deliver medical services in this country. At The Chicago School, we live by the mantra “No Health Without Mental Health,” and train health care professionals to look at patients holistically. They leave our University with a broad cross-section of knowledge and experience, and enter the world prepared to work in teams to ensure that neither mental health nor physical health services are delivered in a vacuum.
Remember, life is short. Let’s each do our part to make it the best we can, for ourselves and for those around us.
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