Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use
Our work involves mental health promotion and the prevention of mental, neurological and substance use disorders. We support the expansion of access to affordable, quality care for everyone who needs it.
Comorbidities with physical health
Mental health conditions affect and are affected by physical conditions. They can be precursors of one another, consequences, or the result of interactive effects. For example, people living with noncommunicable diseases, neglected tropical diseases and communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis, are more likely to experience depression. When mental and physical health conditions co-occur they can lead to poor quality of life, impaired functioning and poorer medical outcomes. People living with severe mental health conditions are also more likely to be affected by physical health conditions and are more likely to die 10–20 years earlier as these go unrecognized and untreated. This page provides a link to key WHO resources related to comorbidities in mental health.
Publications
28 April 2022
Integration of mental health and HIV interventions
People living with HIV are at high risk of mental, nervous system and substance use disorders and mental health disorders can affect general health, adherence...
29 April 2024
WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis: module 6: tuberculosis and comorbidities, 2nd ed
Addressing comorbidities and risk factors for tuberculosis (TB) is a crucial component of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s End TB Strategy....
Preventable physical health conditions lead to premature mortality in people with severe mental disorders, reducing their life span by 10-20 years. The...
2 March 2022
Mental Health and COVID-19: Early evidence of the pandemic’s impact: Scientific brief, 2 March 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people around the world while also raising concerns of increased suicidal...
WHO and public health authorities around the world are acting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, this time of crisis is generating stress throughout...
6 October 2020
Mental health of people with neglected tropical diseases - towards a person-centred approach
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) frequently cause distress in affected people and their carers, because of both their direct impact and stigma and discrimination....
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