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Healthcare
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The Physical and Mental Well-Being of Individuals with Chronic Diseases
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The Physical and Mental Well-Being of Individuals with Chronic Diseases

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Healthcare Quality, Patient Safety, and Self-care Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1481

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Natalia Świątoniowska Lonc

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Cardiology, Centre for Heart Diseases, 4th Military Hospital, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland
Interests: heart failure; diabetes; outcome; adherence; quality of life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune conditions, represent a major and growing public health challenge worldwide. These conditions not only affect physical functioning but are also strongly associated with psychological consequences such as depression, anxiety, and reduced social well-being. The interplay between physical and mental health is often underestimated, yet it significantly influences treatment outcomes, quality of life, and healthcare needs. Understanding this interaction is essential for developing effective, patient-centered, and multidisciplinary approaches to chronic disease management. We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue titled “The Physical and Mental Well-Being of Individuals with Chronic Diseases”.

This Special Issue aims to explore the multidimensional impact of chronic diseases on both physical and mental health. It will cover topics such as comorbidities, resilience, coping strategies, integrated care, healthcare disparities, and innovative interventions. By aligning with the journal’s scope, the Special Issue emphasizes holistic health perspectives, bridging biomedical, psychological, and social aspects of chronic disease research.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Quality of life and psychological burden of chronic diseases;
  • Integrated and multidisciplinary care models;
  • Preventive and rehabilitative strategies;
  • Digital health and self-management interventions;
  • Health disparities and access to care.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Natalia Świątoniowska Lonc
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chronic diseases
  • physical health
  • mental health
  • comorbidities
  • quality of life
  • psychological burden
  • patient-centered approaches
  • prevention
  • multidisciplinary management

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 383 KB  
Article
Patterns of Vulnerability: Frailty, Multimorbidity, and Physical Health-Related Quality of Life in Institutionalised Older Adults
by Noelia Durán-Gómez, Miguel Ángel Martín-Parrilla, Jesús Montanero-Fernández, Casimiro Fermín López-Jurado, Lydia Rodríguez-Rivero and Macarena C. Cáceres
Healthcare 2026, 14(11), 1491; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14111491 - 27 May 2026
Viewed by 71
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Population ageing is accompanied by an increasing burden of multimorbidity and frailty, both of which are consistently associated with poorer health-related quality of life (QoL). Although several geriatric domains influence QoL in older adults, their combined association remain insufficiently explored in institutionalised [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Population ageing is accompanied by an increasing burden of multimorbidity and frailty, both of which are consistently associated with poorer health-related quality of life (QoL). Although several geriatric domains influence QoL in older adults, their combined association remain insufficiently explored in institutionalised populations. This study aimed to examine the independent and combined associations between age, multimorbidity, frailty, and QoL in institutionalised older adults and to explore which quality-of-life domain was most strongly associated with geriatric assessment variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 72 institutionalised older adults in Spain. Multimorbidity (number of chronic conditions), frailty (Fried phenotype), functional status, nutritional status, fall risk, and QoL were assessed using validated instruments, including the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire. Pearson correlations and canonical correlation analysis were used to examine relationships between geriatric assessment variables and QoL domains. Analysis of variance and regression tree were subsequently applied to explore associations affecting the Physical Health domain. Results: A correlation analysis identified the Physical Health domain as the QoL dimension most strongly associated with geriatric variables. On the other hand, frailty, age and number of chronic diseases turned out to be the most explanatory in our study and were classified: the first according to the standard protocol, and the other two using a regression tree. Then, a three-way additive ANOVA explained 36.4% of the variance, with age as main influential. Namely, we estimate that the poorest QoL occurs in subjects over 84 who have more than three chronic conditions and are classified as frail. However, this is not a validated clinical decision rule since these cutoff points may vary in other samples. Conclusions: In this sample of institutionalised older adults, age emerged as the main variable associated with lower physical QoL, multimorbidity contributes to the cumulative burden of disease, and frailty may reflect the systemic decline in physiological reserves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physical and Mental Well-Being of Individuals with Chronic Diseases)
21 pages, 288 KB  
Article
Functional and Neurological Outcomes After Spine Surgery and Neurorehabilitation for Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Prospective Observational Pre–Post Study
by Monika Michalak, Adam Druszcz, Maciej Miś, Marcin Miś, Małgorzata Paprocka-Borowicz and Joanna Rosińczuk
Healthcare 2026, 14(2), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14020258 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 978
Abstract
Background: Discogenic low back pain (LBP) is a significant therapeutic and social problem. Discopathy is associated with neurological symptoms that severely disrupt the patient’s functional status. Regardless of the choice of neurosurgical procedure for discopathy, its effectiveness highly varies. Aims: This study aimed [...] Read more.
Background: Discogenic low back pain (LBP) is a significant therapeutic and social problem. Discopathy is associated with neurological symptoms that severely disrupt the patient’s functional status. Regardless of the choice of neurosurgical procedure for discopathy, its effectiveness highly varies. Aims: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of neurosurgical treatment and neurorehabilitation procedures based on a comprehensive analysis of a number of neurological symptoms and the functional status of patients with chronic discogenic LBP. Material and Methods: This study involved 110 patients (56 women and 54 men) who underwent first-ever lumbar spine surgery. Before the surgery and 3 months after the hospital discharge, all patients were subjected to neurological examination and comprehensive assessment of neurological symptoms. Results: After the procedure, improvement was shown in sensory disturbance (p < 0.0001), pain (p < 0.0001), and sexual dysfunction (p < 0.0001). The results of lower limb paresis, monoplegia, and sphincter complications remained non-significant. A reduction in scoliosis (p = 0.0040) and lumbar pain (p < 0.0001) was observed. There was a reduction in pain in the lower leg (p = 0.0136) and foot (p = 0.0122) during movements. Improvement in passive and active mobility as well as pain reduction in the lumbar spine area were demonstrated (p < 0.0001). There was significant improvement in the knee and ankle reflexes (p < 0.0001). There were no significant changes in the superficial sensation. In the functional assessment, an improvement in the toe-to-floor test of 13.3 cm was confirmed (p < 0.0001), while there was no difference in the Lasègue’s test. Conclusions: The general and neurological condition of patients with LBP significantly improved after the spine surgery. The improvement included mainly a reduction in pain and sensory disturbances, return of deep reflexes, and increased mobility of the lower limbs and spine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physical and Mental Well-Being of Individuals with Chronic Diseases)
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