The Mental Health Foundation focus part of their policy work on physical manifestations of poor mental health and mental manifestations of poor physical health. This page details their work. They call for the routine assessment of the psychological needs of patients suffering from chronic heart disease and other serious physical conditions. Interestingly, they are call for a reduction in the inappropriate use of primary and acute hospital services by people with medically unexplained sympoms (MUS) by referrals to evidence-based psychological treatments. That should not be interpretted as the medical profession just giving up on patients and thinking "its all in their mind" (as I probably would have a few years ago!) - it shows a real forward thinking attitude. If a treatment can not be found, the condition will generate stress and depression which will in turn make the condition worse. Treating the psychological aspects of the condition is as close as it may be possible to get to treating the condition.
Another interesting fact on that page is this:
11% of adult healthcare costs in the UK are attributable to physical symptoms caused or exacerbated by mental health problems.
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