Sample Excerpt
Abstract
Regardless of research surrounding mental illness, there is a still a stigma in the common population around the legitimacy of its effects. While there is much research regarding the mental and emotional effects of mental illnesses stemming from chemical imbalances in the brain, without clear physical effects, many cannot comprehend the validity. We need to break the preconceived notion that mental illness is not as significant as physical illnesses such as cancer; showing evidence for physical effects of mental illnesses can do this. This paper investigates and discusses the somatic, or bodily, effects of the mental illness: depression. The focus of the somatic effects investigated through literature review is the presence of myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack, in individuals living with chronic depression.