Abstract

Aging increases susceptibility both to psychiatric and medical disorders through a variety of processes ranging from biochemical to pharmacologic to societal. Interactions between aging-related brain changes, emotional and psychological symptoms, and social factors contribute to multimorbidity - the presence of two or more chronic conditions in an individual - which requires a more patient-centered, holistic approach than used in traditional single-disease treatment guidelines. Optimal treatment of older adults with psychiatric and medical multimorbidity necessitates an appreciation and understanding of the links between biological, psychological, and social factors - including trauma and racism - that underlie physical and psychiatric multimorbidity in older adults, all of which are the topic of this review.

MeSH

Social Factors, Psychopharmacology, Multimorbidity, Therapeutics, Racism, Wounds And Injuries

Cited by

• Effects of physical and psychological multimorbidity on the risk of dementia: multinational prospective cohorts and a meta-analysis. BMC Med, 2024
• Health inequalities in disease burden of dementia and early-onset dementia: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study. Glob Health Res Policy, 2025
• Multimorbidity Management: A Scoping Review of Interventions and Health Outcomes. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2025
• The Connection Between Depression and Ischemic Heart Disease: Analyzing Demographic Characteristics, Risk Factors, Symptoms, and Treatment Approaches to Identify Their Relationship. Clin Pract, 2024