It is estimated that one in four people will experience a mental disorder in their lifetime; anxiety and depression are the two most common disorders in this region. This scenario poses challenges for public health systems, medical professionals, and patients in general. For health systems, the main challenge is to ensure that mental health services reach everyone. Furthermore, studies show that people with severe mental disorders die prematurely, 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, due to preventable physical diseases. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the deterioration of mental health is evident. The importance of integrating mental health into comprehensive medical care. Dr. Patricia Argueta, from Adium, explains how anxiety and depression complicate the management of chronic diseases, demanding unified medical care. Increasing investment and attention to mental health in primary care services will allow access to the most vulnerable populations. «Health professionals and patients must be attentive to signs that may indicate a mental disorder. While the deterioration of mental health can affect physical health,» she emphasizes. On World Health Day, celebrated on April 7, it is an opportune moment to recognize that mental health care must be integrated with physical health care. Scientific research highlights that people living with mental health problems have a higher risk of experiencing chronic physical and cardiometabolic health problems. «There are studies that suggest that the prevalence of depressive states is higher in patients with non-communicable chronic diseases such as diabetes, arterial hypertension, cancer, or cardiovascular diseases, for example,» assures Dr. Patricia Argueta, Medical Director of Adium Central America and the Caribbean, and highlights that integrating mental health into clinical management could improve patients' quality of life. A study published in The Lancet emphasizes this aspect and stresses the existence of a higher risk of physical health conditions—cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension—in people with mental illnesses; proposing the need for comprehensive care because the mind and body go hand in hand. On the other hand, mortality related to health is two to three times higher among patients with mental health problems compared to the general population. In the world, 14.3% of deaths recorded each year are attributed to mental disorders. It is estimated that one in four people will experience a mental disorder in their lifetime. Of these, 67.3% are due to associated physical diseases. Feeling uneasy, having panic attacks or increased heart rate, breathing rapidly, trembling, having trouble sleeping, or feeling weakness or fatigue are some symptoms that deserve attention,» emphasizes the Medical Director of Adium Central America and the Caribbean.
