Study: Depression Plus Chronic Arthritis Worsens Health

Depression, in addition to arthritis or other chronic illnesses, is more damaging to a person's health than the disease alone. According to a report in The Lancet, researchers looked at 245,404 people from the World Health Survey. Of the study participants, 3.2 percent experienced a depressive episode during the previous year. For study participants who had arthritis, 4.1 percent also experienced depression. Between 9 and 23 percent of study participants had one or more of the following conditions along with depression: arthritis, asthma, diabetes, and angina.

• Depression at About.com
• Signs and Symptoms of Depression
• 5 Facts You Should Know About Depression

Depression with one of the other chronic conditions worsened health compared with depression alone, any of the chronic diseases alone, or any combination of the aforementioned chronic diseases without depression. The results show the importance of treating depression to improve overall health and reduce the burden of chronic disease. The report stated that 80 percent of arthritis patients receive acceptable levels of care but that is not the case for depression. It should be recognized that depression seriously impacts health, especially when it occurs with another chronic condition.

More Related Resources:

• Depression and Arthritis
• Conquering Depression
• An In-Depth Report: Depression
• Treating Depression Relieves Arthritis Too
• When Does Sadness Cross Over Into Depression?

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