Mela Binford
Research Mentor: Leah Richmond-Rakerd
Mentor Department: Department of Psychology, LSA
Author(s): Mela Binford, Joshua Jargowsky, Yasmine Chugh, Kallisse Dent, Leah Richmond-Rakerd
Session: Session 3 (11:00 AM – 11:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 3
Abstract
Existing research suggests that mental-health conditions are associated with the onset of chronic physical diseases, but studies have tended to focus on a single mental-health condition (e.g., anxiety) and a single physical disease (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine whether multiple mental-health conditions are linked to multiple chronic physical diseases, improving our understanding of how mental health shapes physical health across the lifespan. Four databases — Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, and PubMed — were systematically searched for studies testing associations of mental-health conditions with chronic physical diseases. Titles and abstracts were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Primary inclusion criteria were the use of a cohort study design and inclusion of diagnosed mental-health conditions (internalizing, externalizing, and thought disorders) and diagnosed physical diseases (COPD, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases). Full-text screening is in progress and will determine final eligibility. To date (at March 23, 2026), 209 of the 21,789 screened studies have been determined to meet both abstract and full-text criteria. We anticipate an overall association between any mental-health condition and the risk of any physical disease, and associations for disease subtypes. We also anticipate that demographic factors, including socioeconomic status and baseline age, will potentially affect the strength of these associations. This poster will summarize the study identification and screening procedures for the systematic review, the flow of records through the process, and individual contributions to and experiences of the project.
