Medical and behavioral health disorders commonly co-occur. This comorbidity has devastating effects on health in the form of increased illness, disability, and early mortality. It also has increased economic costs in health care and other spending. The integration of behavioral health and primary care services carries vast potential in the prevention, early intervention, and effective management of chronic diseases for patients with co-occurring behavioral and physical health problems. In this chapter, I review the epidemiology of behavioral health disorders in the United States for different groups and provide information on the comorbidity of these disorders with other health conditions. I then use an ecological systems lens to review common biological, psychological, and social factors found to be important determinates of risk and resilience for common behavioral health disorders at individual, familial, institutional, and societal levels. Finally, I review common social determinants of health and behavioral health and provide a rationale for effectively addressing these determinants through integrated care models.
The Intersections of Social, Behavioral, and Physical Health