The comorbidity of mental and physical health conditions has substantial implications for individuals' overall health, well-being, and healthcare utilization. Individuals with comorbid conditions often experience greater symptom severity, functional impairments, and reduced quality of life compared to those with single disorders. Moreover, the presence of comorbid mental and physical health conditions leads to increased healthcare costs and utilization, placing a burden on healthcare systems. However, the fragmented nature of healthcare systems, with separate mental and physical healthcare settings, poses significant challenges in effectively addressing the needs of individuals with comorbid conditions. Integrated care models that emphasize collaboration between primary care physicians, mental health specialists, and other healthcare providers have been proposed as a promising approach. To develop effective integrated care models, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the associations between mental disorders and physical diseases.
Our aim is to identify the links between mental disorders and physical diseases in the population. To do so, we will leverage a unique data resource that to our knowledge is not available anywhere else in the world: every primary care health encounter over a 17-year period from 2006-2022 in Norway, where all residents are assigned a primary-care physician. By exploring the connections between mental disorders and physical diseases within the primary care context, we strive to deepen our understanding of the interplay between mental and physical health, from childhood to old age. Using pilot grant funds, we will prepare and code the nationwide data from primary-care records, and also prepare an initial report which will serve as a ‘preliminary study’ for an extramural grant application.