 Patients with MDD alone have more visitations with a healthcare professional as opposed to people with a single physical chronic condition. The use of medical care increases with the number of physical chronic conditions. If there is an physical chronic condition and co-morbid MDD, the hospital vist rates are greater, incurring an additional 50% in medical costs. 


Healthcare Utilization of Patients with Co-Morbid MDD

Patients with MDD have a higher reduction in activities in terms of work and school absences and high cost of treatment, amounting to an economic cost of 83 billion dollars. People with three or more chronic physical conditions reported the most absenteeism. There is a greater reduction of activities with the combined effect of co-morbid MDD and physical chronic conditions than from either of the conditions.


Long Term Reduction of Activities in Patients with Co-Morbid MDD

Temporary disability is a count of the number of days an individual with an illness has to limit most of their daily activities. The duration of the temporary disability differs with the severity of the chronic illness an individual has. Temporary disability can also come in the form of bed rest advised by a medical professional for recovery.

Temporary Disability

- Health-care Utilization
- Reduction of Activities
- Temporary Disability


Santa Clara University

Chronic illnesses (also referred to as chronic disease or condition) is a condition that lasts for a year or more and requires frequent medical care. Chronic conditions can effect or limit the activities in one's daily life.

Chronic Illness

Stein, M., Cox, B., Afifi, T., Belik, S.-L., &amp; Sareen, J. (2006). Does Co-Morbid Depressive Illness Magnify the Impact of Chronic Physical Illness? A Population-Based Perspective. Psychological Medicine, 36, 587–596. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291706007239 

Does co-morbid depressive illness magnify the impact of chronic physical illness?
A population-based perspective

When children are diagnosed with chronic illness, parents often have to become full-time caregivers. This, compounded with work and other life stressors, lead to depressive symptoms and stress in parents.

Grief in parents caring for chronically-ill children

 A large percentage of people have Chronic Illness; the chronic illnesses have significant psychosocial ramifications for both the affected person and their family members. This in return creates new challenges for the field of psychology.


The Impacts of Chronic Illness

Impact of Chronic Illnesses

Due to an ever evolving social and economic world, healthcare needs have changed drastically over the decades. These changes have influenced the lived experience of people with chronic illness and disability. This is because these individuals have an added struggle of not being perfectly healthy. A growing body of research focuses on the relationships between society, the self, disability, and illness. 

Chronic Illness, Expert Patients and Care Transition

- Physical Chronic Disease
- Mental Chronic Disease
- Comorbid Chronic Disease

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