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 Researchers followed more than 48,000 youth without any diagnosed
mental health disorders for two years, starting when they were
between 6 and 25 years old. Overall, 14.7% had a chronic physical
health problem that either limited their ability to navigate daily
life or required ongoing treatment.
Overall, 7.8% of the study participants developed a mental health
problem over the course of the study. Children and young adults with
a chronic physical health problem were 51% more likely to be
diagnosed with a mental illness than youth without issues like
asthma, diabetes, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or
ADHD.
"A surprising amount of this difference is explained by limitations
in the ability to participate in school, work, and social
activities," said study leader Dr. John Adams of the Cambridge
Health Alliance in Massachusetts.
Among all the study participants, 1.8% reported activity
limitations. Youth with chronic physical health problems were more
than 3 times more likely to have limitations than other
participants.
"This matters because it shows what a powerful impact growing up
with physical illness can have on mental health and also highlights
a potential mechanism which could help future efforts to prevent
mental illness in this population," Adams said by email.
In the study, mental health conditions were more common among older
youth, suggesting that living with conditions like asthma or
diabetes might take a psychological toll that gets worse over time,
researchers note in Pediatrics.
The cumulative two-year rates of mental health diagnoses were 5.6%
among kids 6 to 11 years old, but climbed to 7.4% among participants
12 to 18 years old and 10.1% among young adults 19 to 25 years old.
The most common mental health diagnoses in the study were anxiety,
mood disorders and behavior disorders.
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Youth with chronic physical health problems were 51% more likely to
develop anxiety, 70% more likely to develop mood disorders, and 54%
more likely to develop behavior disorders, the study found.
The study wasn't a controlled experiment designed to prove whether
or how chronic physical health problems might directly cause
psychological problems in young people.
One limitation of the study is the relatively brief follow-up
period, the authors note. It might take more than 2 years for mental
health disorders to become apparent, particularly with the youngest
study participants.
Another drawback is that the researchers relied on surveys of
parents to gather data on young people with both physical and mental
health problems, and it's possible this might not always reflect the
conditions that children had.
Even so, the results underscore the importance of parents keeping
close watch for symptoms of mental health disorders in kids with
chronic physical health problems, said Dr. Ethan Benore, head of the
Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health at Cleveland Clinic
Children's in Ohio.
"Children with a chronic medical condition may be at a greater risk
of developing a mental health issue," Benore, who wasn't involved in
the study, said by email.
"For this reason, parents should monitor their child's well-being,
seeking assessment and early intervention if any concerns arise,"
Benore added. "Educating children and supporting them in their
psychosocial development should be a part of treating any chronic
health condition of childhood."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2RrZQBO Pediatrics, online June 14, 2019.
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