Chronic conditions can have a significant impact on patients’ physical health, day-to-day functioning, and overall well-being. For many patients, these conditions are also closely connected to behavioral health, and can affect emotional health, care engagement, and outcomes.

Conditions such as cancer, musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders, and cardiometabolic diseases, often referred to as cardiodiabesity, frequently have an impact on mental health. This connection can influence how patients experience symptoms, follow treatment plans, and navigate care.

Consider these key statistics that highlight the relationship between chronic conditions and mental health:

Cancer may lead to comorbid mental health issues

• Cancer patients are more likely than those without cancer to report declines in their own mental health – as well as the mental health of their family – over the past 12 months. ¹
• More than one in three cancer patients experiences mental health-related conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or substance use disorder. ²

Why this connection matters: Emotional health challenges often emerge alongside cancer diagnosis and treatment, and may influence how patients engage with care, communicate concerns, and navigate support during their treatment journey.

MSK conditions are associated with behavioral health conditions

• Among patients with MSK ‘wear and tear’ conditions, 18% experience anxiety and 12% depression.³
• The risk of opioid use disorder is especially high among patients with work-related MSK conditions, commonly seen in physically intensive occupations such as construction and related industries.⁴

Why this connection matters: Behavioral health needs can intersect with pain management and recovery, influencing how patients experience symptoms and interact with treatment plans over time.

Cardiodiabesity conditions may increase the likelihood of depression

• Patients with heart disease are up to three times more likely to experience depression than the general population.⁵
• Individuals living with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have depression than those without diabetes.⁶
• Adults with obesity have a 55% higher lifetime risk of developing depression.⁷

Why this connection matters: Behavioral health conditions can influence physical health over time, contributing to the development or progression of chronic conditions.

Supporting a more connected view of patient health
Recognizing the relationship between chronic conditions and mental health may help support a more complete understanding of patients’ health experiences.

Understanding how physical and behavioral health interact can help inform a more comprehensive view of patient care, particularly for those managing complex or chronic conditions.

Resources for patients and providers

• Preventive Care Services (A004) administrative policy: This policy provides information on how anxiety, depression, and maternal depression screenings, as well as behavioral/social/emotional and suicide risk assessments, can be integrated into wellness exams.
• Cigna Healthcare behavioral health network: Cigna Healthcare offers a large network of behavioral specialists, with both in-person and virtual options. This network can be accessed through the provider directory, myCigna.com, and the myCigna^® App.
• Behavioral and Mental Health Resources for Providers: This web page provides you with mental health–related information and tools that can complement your patient interactions and help you improve the emotional vitality and mental well-being of your patients.

Learn more about the behavioral health resources that may be available for your Cigna Healthcare patients, in “Helping patients get started with behavioral health support.”

1. Evernorth Research Institute, “Health Care in Focus: 2024 Health Care Trends.”  Retrieved from https://www.evernorth.com/health-care-in-focus-2024
2. Yuanyuan Wang, et al. Translational Psychiatry. “Epidemiology of mental health problems among patients with cancer during COVID-19 pandemic.” July 31, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-00950-y
3. Evernorth Research Institute, “Americans in Motion.” August 2022. https://www.evernorth.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/Evernorth%20Americans%20in%20Motion%20Musculoskeletal%20Report_0.pdf
4. Ann Marie Dale, PhD, et al. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH Science Blog, “Addressing the Opioid Overdose Epidemic in Construction: Minimize Work Factors that Cause Injury and Pain.”, September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bulletin/2021/opioids-in-construction.html
5. Ashish Chaddha, MD, et al. The American Journal of Medicine, “Mental Health and Cardiovascular Disease.” November 2016. Retrieved from https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(16)30551-4/pdf
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diabetes and Mental Health. May 15, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/living-with/mental-health.html
7. Beatriz Villagrasa Blasco, et al. National Library of Medicine, Psychiatry Investigation. “Obesity and Depression: Its Prevalence and Influence as a Prognostic Factor: A Systematic Review.” August 12, 2020. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7449839/
8. Hannah Mössinger and Karel Kostev. Brain Sciences, “Depression Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Subsequent Cancer Diagnosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study with 235,404 Patients.” January 10, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/302
9. Bowen Tang, et al. The Journal of the International Association of the Study of Pain, “Reciprocal interaction between depression and pain: results from a comprehensive bidirectional Mendelian randomization study and functional annotation analysis.” January 2022. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/pain/fulltext/2022/01000/reciprocal_interaction_between_depression_and.22.aspx
10. Chan Soon Park, et al. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, “Increased cardiovascular events in young patients with mental disorders: a nationwide cohort study.” October 2023. Retrieved from:  https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article/30/15/1582/7146568?login=false
11. Beatriz Villagrasa Blasco, et al. National Library of Medicine, Psychiatry Investigation. “Obesity and Depression: Its Prevalence and Influence as a Prognostic Factor: A Systematic Review.” August 12, 2020. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7449839/