26 Oct How Behavioral Health Can Impact Physical Health

The connection between the mind and body is often stronger than people presume. For instance, behavioral health conditions, such as addiction, can take a toll on the body. In turn, those health outcomes can impact mental health, creating a cycle of behavioral, physical, and mental effects.

The relationship is so complex, in fact, experts are still unraveling just how much it impacts our daily lives and overall wellbeing. In spite of the unknown, modern-day research has revealed the extent of the connection’s effect in some areas of human health. Below is a brief exploration into a few of these connections.

First, what is meant by the term behavioral health? Not to be interchanged with mental health, behavioral health refers to the conditions brought on by the habits or harmful actions of the individual, either directly or indirectly. The term also applies to the study of the impacts on a person’s mental health due to biology, emotions, and behaviors.

Often, behavioral health issues arise from circumstances in which a negative force has created a separate condition. Substance abuse is one of the most common examples, but it can also include eating disorders, sex addiction, and gambling. Habitual stress and experiencing anxiety on a routine basis may be considered as well. Depression can also fall into this area; however, it is more closely related to brain chemistry and falls under mental health.

Understanding the distinction between mental and behavioral health is important, as they can affect each person differently. What’s more, these two areas regularly coincide, since people suffer from co-occurring conditions. Such overlap can make treatment difficult.

What are some ways behavioral health may impact a person’s physical wellbeing?  Medical research has found poor mental and behavioral health can affect gastrointestinal comfort. Chronic stress, anxiety, and poor habits can disrupt how the digestive tract functions, as well as the intensity of pain and discomfort. It also can affect sleep quality, heart health, and even longevity.

The reverse has also been found, with the quality of physical health having an impact on how we act and the way our mind responds. Serious disorders caused by physical ailments can produce ill effects in the mind. A well-documented example is the increased rate of depression in people after a diagnosis of cancer.

Occasional stress or brief bouts of depression should not cause a person to worry about his or her physical health. It’s a serious issue when the behaviors involved interfere with normal life for a prolonged period of time or when someone’s mental state deteriorates to the point of abnormal function. It’s vital that experiencing such struggles of chronic stress, anxiety, or depression are not downplayed.

At the end of the day, each of us needs to be more mindful of our behaviors and the impacts they can have on mental and physical health needs. For further information on the connection between behavioral and physical health, please see the accompanying resource from Streamline Healthcare Solutions, a EHR platform provider.

Editor’s note: This piece discusses mental health issues. If you have experienced suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide and want to seek help, you can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741-741 or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255

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Last Updated on October 26, 2025 by Marie Benz MD FAAD