Somatic Comorbidities in Psychiatric Disorders: From Childhood to Old Age

Severe mental disorders such as affective disorders (including unipolar depression and bipolar disorder) and schizophrenia are psychiatric disorders with a complex multifactorial etiology. Medical comorbidities occur to a much higher extent in individuals with mental disorders compared to the general population. The association between psychiatric diseases and medical comorbidities is multifaceted. Especially psychopharmacological medications and poor lifestyle (i.e. lack of regular physical activity, poor food intake, substance abuse, and high rates of smoking) increase the risk of developing metabolic syndromes. Additionally, an independent association between schizophrenia/ affective disorders and physical illnesses has been proposed and linked to inflammatory pathways. Emerging evidence also indicates that reduced cognitive functioning - and even higher risk for dementia - is associated with obesity in otherwise healthy individuals which might be an expression of abnormalities in brain structure and function. In recent years, studies focused especially on the possible effects of immuno- modulatory agents on mental illness for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of both diseases.

This Research Topic aims at tackling somatic comorbidity in individuals with psychiatric disorders from childhood to old age, with a focus on severe mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Neurobiological background, clinical aspects and therapeutic aspects as well as recent developments in the content of COVID-19 infections will be included.

We encourage articles on the following subtopics:

• Impact of COVID-19 on somatic and psychiatric disorders;
• Neurobiological background of somatic comorbidities and mental disorders;
• Inflammation and mental disorders;
• Physical activity and regulation of affective states;
• Early recognition of mental disorders and somatic comorbidities in adolescents and young adults;
• Pharmacological treatment and association with somatic comorbidity in individuals with mental disorders;
• Changes in somatic function during therapeutic interventions in individuals with mental disorders.