# New ‘Atlas’ Maps Links Between Mental Disorders, Physical Illnesses
Mental illnesses are associated with a significantly increased risk of subsequent physical diseases, new research shows.
An international team of researchers has created an ‘atlas’ that maps the relationship between specific mental disorders and the risk of subsequent physical illnesses.
The researchers found that following the diagnosis of a mental disorder, psychiatric patients are significantly more likely than the general population to develop potentially life-threatening conditions, including heart disease and stroke.
These findings, investigators note, highlight the need for better medical care in this vulnerable population. They have created a website with detailed information about the risks of specific physical ailments and the link to particular mental disorders.
“We found that women with anxiety disorders have a 50% increased risk of developing a heart condition or stroke — over 15 years, one in three women with anxiety disorders will develop these medical disorders,” lead investigator John McGrath, MD, PhD, University of Queensland’s Brain Institute and Denmark’s Aarhus University, said in a statement.
“We also looked at men with substance use disorders such as alcohol-related disorders and found they have a 400% increased risk of gut or liver disorders, while over 15 years, one in five of them will develop gut or liver conditions,” he added.
The study was published online April 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine .