Adults who had a mental illness in the past year have higher rates of certain physical illnesses, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The report says adults age 18 and older  who had any mental illness, serious mental illness, or major depressive episodes in the past year had increased rates of high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Adults experiencing major depressive episodes (periods of depression lasting two weeks or more in which there were significant problems with everyday aspects of life such as sleep, eating or feelings of self-worth) had higher rates of these physical illnesses than those without past-year major depressive episodes: high blood pressure (24 percent vs. 20 percent), asthma (17 percent vs. 11 percent), diabetes (9 percent vs. 7 percent), heart disease (7 percent vs. 5 percent), and stroke (3 percent vs. 1 percent).

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