Depression can affect lifespan, and not in a good way.

Research has shown that individuals with chronic or severe depression may have a reduced life expectancy compared to those without. Several factors contribute to this, such as:

1. Increased risk of physical health issues
   Depression is linked to a variety of physical health problems like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and immune system suppression. Chronic stress can cause inflammation and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
2. Lifestyle factors
   People suffering from depression may be more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors. Think of practices like smoking, substance abuse, poor diet, lack of exercise, and disrupted sleep patterns. These factors can lead to deteriorating health over time.
3. Increased risk of suicide
   Psychological disorders can be a major risk factor for suicide in severe cases, which directly shortens life expectancy. Please consult a health care professional immediately if you, or anyone else you know, happens to be suffering from suicidal thoughts or is at risk for self-harm. I would also advise seeking the assistance of medication to help deal with the often debilitating symptoms of depression, to make their lives more bearable.
4. Poor treatment of medical conditions
   Depression can make it harder for individuals to manage existing medical conditions. They can be less likely to adhere to prescribed treatments, attend medical appointments, or engage in preventive health measures, whether due to less motivation or energy, or because they simply don’t care anymore.
5. Cognitive decline
   Long-term depression has been linked to cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia, which can also influence mortality. One possible reason is that depression is often linked with insomnia and sleep deprivation. We know that long-term sleep deprivation is extremely detrimental to the human body and brain. There’s also the fact that optimistic people seem to live longer, based on nearly 50 years of longitudinal data.
6. Chronic stress and HPA axis dysregulation
   Chronic stress can lead to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This system controls the body’s response to stress by regulating cortisol levels. Prolonged activation of the HPA axis can lead to increased inflammation and a weakened immune system.
7. Social isolation
   
   Many mental disorders often induce social withdrawal and isolation. And since humans are highly social beings, this can negatively affect both our mental and physical health.
   Lack of social support is associated with higher mortality rates, as loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, and other health issues.
8. Sleep disturbances
   Disrupted sleep patterns can create a plethora of problems, such as insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping).
   Poor sleep quality or sleeping too little has been associated with an increased risk of chronic illnesses, impaired cognitive function, and immune system suppression, which increases vulnerability to other illnesses.
9. Chronic pain
   Depression can amplify the perception of pain and is often co-occurring with chronic pain conditions (such as arthritis, migraines, and fibromyalgia).
   Chronic pain can lower quality of life and increase stress, which has a detrimental effect on our life expectancy.
10. Poor self-care and delayed help-seeking
    We often delay seeking medical care or ignore early symptoms of physical illness. That’s especially true when we’re suffering from a psychological problem.
    This can result in diseases being diagnosed at a more advanced stage, meaning they are harder to treat.
    Poor self-care habits also increase the risk of untreated or unmanaged conditions like hypertension or diabetes, which can lead to premature death.
11. Increased risk of substance abuse
    
    Depression often coexists with substance use disorders. People may use alcohol or drugs to cope with their depressive symptoms.
    That poses additional risks such as overdosing, fatal accidents, liver and cardiovascular diseases, and compounding mental health issues.
12. Cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s risk
    Long-term depression, especially in older adults, can induce and accelerate cognitive decline, leading to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
    This can lead to a higher chance of premature death due to complications from dementia.

What’s the life expectancy of people with bipolar disorder?

11 and 13 studies were included in the review for life expectancy and years of potential life lost (YPLL) respectively.

Pooled life expectancy was 66.88 years for men and 70.51 years for women.

The average years of potential life lost was 12.89 years.

More YPLL was observed when the lifespan was estimated at birth instead of other set ages.

YPLLs attributable to natural and unnatural deaths were 5.94 years and 5.69 years, respectively.

Another population-based cohort study investigated excess mortality in 12,556 bipolar disorder patients between 2008 and 2018 by estimating all-cause and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and life-years lost (LYLs).

They concluded that patients had higher all-cause SMR (2.60), natural-cause SMR (1.90), and unnatural-cause SMR (8.63) mortality rates than the general population.

Men had 6.78 years of excess LYLs, and women had 7.35 years of excess LYLs.

Conclusion

This shows how untreated or poorly managed depression can create a complex web of risks that may shorten lifespan.

That’s why we should focus on early detection, effective treatment, and support to mitigate these health risks.