A cohort study based on the UK Biobank data revealed that individuals with a history of depression develop long-term physical health conditions faster than those without. The study tracked over 172,000 participants aged 40–71 across 69 different conditions, finding that those with depression accrued new chronic conditions 30% faster than their counterparts. Participants with depression were more likely to have unhealthy lifestyle factors at baseline, partly explaining the association. The study highlighted the need for integrated approaches to managing both mental and physical health outcomes, especially in deprived areas. However, potential selection bias and limited generalizability to the wider population were acknowledged.

Source: Depression and physical multimorbidity: A cohort study of physical health condition accrual in UK Biobank | PLOS Medicinehttps://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004532