Quite often, physical and mental health disorders go hand in hand. Research shows that persons with severe or chronic physical illnesses often have a co-existing mental health problem. At the same time, persons with severe mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders have physical health problems that remain undetected or untreated. This situation, combined with the reality that there is still stigma associated with mental illness and that most persons first seek help through their GP, has resulted in an emphasis on the need for better integration between mental health and physical care, especially for better mental health and.
