Psychosomatic Aspects of The Development of Comorbid Pathology: A Review

Abstract

Background: The article reviews the literature data on various somatic and mental pathologies, which are comorbid processes with similar pathophysiological, genetic and neurochemical mechanisms. The psychosomatic manifestations of cardiovascular diseases and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are considered. Particular attention is paid to post-traumatic stress disorder of participants in local wars. Comorbid pathology, in combination with depression and anxiety, aggravates the course of the disease, leading to disability in the adult population and premature death. Methods: The literature was searched in PubMed, Mendeley, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases to identify relevant studies published from 2012 to 2022. Results: Our literature search revealed a bidirectional association between comorbid psychiatric and somatic disorders. The prevalence of somatic diseases increases in people with a predominance of mental disorders. Conclusion: There is growing evidence that the combination of anxiety-depressive disorders and physical illness worsens the severity of the disease, complicating the diagnosis of the presence of one and/or several physical symptoms. However, more clinical trials are still needed to determine their full mechanisms of action.