Insurer Lists Area’s Chief Maladies
Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders are key health issues faced by county residents, a top area health insurer says.
More so than high blood pressure and diabetes.
The new Health Index from
In order of impact, it ranked the top five conditions impacting health in Lancaster County as follows: depression, anxiety and other mood disorders; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; diabetes; and substance use disorders.
Nationally, diabetes and high cholesterol ranked as the top conditions.
The health index, the association said in a statement, "provides a better understanding about which diseases and conditions most greatly affect Americans' overall quality of life."
'Very, very common'
The study's finding may surprise some, but it resonates with local doctors.
Dr.
Philhaven, says anxiety and depression "are very, very common" and that primary care doctors would say "there's no question" they are a leading problem here, both alone and as contributors to chronic diseases.
It would have been very different five years ago, she said, when there were fewer concerted local and national efforts to address mental wellness.
"The whole idea that people are starting to talk about it, acknowledge it and ask for help is a positive sign," she said.
Hospitals are also increasingly putting greater emphasis on the overall health of a person beyond just the physical health.
"If we're really going to be as healthy and well as we can be, then we need to treat the whole person," Sparrow said.
In addition to educating people about helpful practices like stress reduction and mindfulness, he said, local providers are also working to make it easier for those who need mental help to get it.
For instance, he said, next year
"If you woke up this morning and your hand hurt, you would know that you needed to call your doctor," he said. "When somebody wakes up and has anxiety and depression that's pretty severe and is disrupting them, they don't know where to turn."
Those cases are generally handled best somewhere other than the emergency room, he said, but because they tend to end up there, the health system wants to make sure that those people get effective treatment.
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