Blog Post #3: Research Round 1

Inquiry Question: How does our mental health affect our physical health? 

Round 1 Research: How is our mental health related to our physical health? What link can we make between these two very relevant topics?

We often think of our mind and body as separate, but our mental health and physical health are connected. Your mental health can play really big roles in your life which will eventually take a positive or negative toll on your physical health.

• Mental health includes our emotional and psychological well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act towards others. Mental health is important at every stage of life, not only for teens, but for children and adults as well.(1)
  • • • • So, just like how physical fitness and health helps our bodies stay strong and function, good mental health helps us enjoy our life and more importantly also plays a role in staying strong and functioning throughout the day.
        • We can be creative, learn and grow as people. We will then be able to deal with difficult situations in our lives if we can maintain good mental health. (1)

• These points show the connection between our mental and physical health and how they together can determine ones actions and feelings. (2)
• Physical health problems significantly increase our risk of developing mental health problems, and vice versa.
• People living with a serious mental illness are at higher risk of experiencing a wide range of chronic physical conditions. The same goes for people who are struggling mental illness are at higher risk of experiencing chronic physical conditions.(2)
• Only people with serious mental illness will have a prominent negative affect on their physical health. But mild deppression and anxiety will mainly only affect yur physical appearance rather than your physical health.
• Some of the most common physical conditions caused by poor mental health are:
  1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Diabetes, which is can be the result of schizophrenia and severe depression. People with diabetes experience lot’s of emotional stress which can negatively affect an individual’s mental health even more, worsening their physical state.(2)
                                   2. Heart disease and stroke, people with serious mental illnesses often experience high blood pressure and elevated levels of stress hormones and adrenaline which increase the heart rate. These physical changes interfere with cardiovascular function and elevate the risk of developing heart disease among people struggling with mental illness.  Women in Canada experiencing depression are 80 percent more likely to have some sort of heart disease than the average population. (2)
                                   3. Breast cancer, 1 of 5 people with schizophrenia end up having breast cancer. (2)
                                   4. The research linking mental illness and cancer has been proved. Constant stress and extreme anxiety can result in cancer, mainly bowel and respiratory cancers. (2)

• Since poor mental health can cause serious, but preventable, medical conditions, there are multiple things we could do to prevent both, poor mental health and poor physical health, which are always linked to each other. (3)
  • • Some things we can do that help us both mentally and physically are:
      • • • •  Excersing. Physical activity is a great way to keep you physically healthy as well as improve your mental wellbeing. Research shows that doing exercise releases chemicals called endorphins in the brain that increase happiness and make you feel good. (3)
            • Eating well. This can not only improve your health, but a well balanced diet can make you feel good too. The food we eat can influence the  prevention of lot’s mental illness conditions like, depression and dementia. (3)
            • Boxing is also a efficient way to relieve stress and anger which will result, not only in a better mental state, but also a good physical state because of it’s high intensity. (4)

• The early signs of mental illness are very similar to the signs of a physical illness, representing the prominent connection between the two very relevant topics. (5) As an example:
  • • • • • • • Feeling sad or down (5)
              • Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate (5)
              • Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt (5)
              • Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping (6)
              • Major changes in eating habits (6)
              • Abdominal pain (6)
              • Shortness of breath (6)
• All of these are common signs of poor mental and physical illness, these symptoms can be the root of some serious problems which can be physical of mental.

With these points being stated, the connection between our physical and mental health is clear. If one of them is being affected, so will the other in the long term, whether it’s positviely or negatively. There are multiple ways we can improve our mental health to help our physical health and vice-versa. Not only do they share ways you can prevent poor mental health and physical health, but it is clear that they also share early signs and symptoms. The most important thing to overall improve your health is having a good nights sleep. Sleep helps your mind and body reset, leaving you less stressed and letting your body recharge, giving you more energy throughout the day. (7)

So, know you know the link between our mental and physical health, next we’ll be taking a look at how our body language changes and why it does when we’re struggling mentally.

SITES:

1. “Benefits of Good Mental Health.” CMHA Toronto, 16 Mar. 2017, https://toronto.cmha.ca/documents/benefits-of-good-mental-health/.
2. “Mental Health.” CMHA Ontario, https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/the-relationship-between-mental-health-mental-illness-and-chronic-physical-conditions/.
3. “Physical Health and Mental Health.” Mental Health Foundation, https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/physical-health-and-mental-health#:~:text=Our%20bodies%20and%20minds%20are,insomnia%2C%20restlessness%20and%20difficulty%20concentrating.
4. Frederick Health. “The Connection between Mental and Physical Health.” Frederick Health, 8 Oct. 2021, https://www.frederickhealth.org/news/2021/october/the-connection-between-mental-and-physical-healt/.
5. “Mental Illness.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 8 June 2019, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968.
6. “8 Warning Signs of Serious Illness.” Hartig Drug Stores, 29 Jan. 2021, https://www.hartigdrug.com/blog/warning-signs-of-serious-illness.
7. Chappell, Claire. “The Connection between Physical & Mental Health: CMHA York Region & South Simcoe.” CMHA York Region & South Simcoe |, 15 Mar. 2022, https://cmha-yr.on.ca/physical-and-mental-health-the-connection/.