comorbidity etymology

Etymology

The word "comorbidity" is derived from two Latin words:

  • com- (prefix meaning "with" or "together")
  • morbus (noun meaning "disease")

Meaning and Origin

Comorbidity refers to the presence of two or more medical conditions or disorders in the same individual. It is a term that originated in the field of medicine and has since been adopted in other fields, such as psychology and public health.

The concept of comorbidity has been recognized for centuries. In the early 1900s, German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin used the term "psychopathic inferiority" to describe individuals who had multiple symptoms of mental illness. In the 1950s, American psychiatrist Thomas Lewis proposed the term "comorbidity" to describe the co-occurrence of mental and physical health conditions.

Usage

Today, comorbidity is a widely used term in the following contexts:

  • Medicine: To describe the coexistence of multiple medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
  • Psychology: To describe the occurrence of multiple mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
  • Public Health: To study the prevalence and impact of multiple chronic conditions on individuals and populations.

Example:

  • A person with diabetes who also has high blood pressure and high cholesterol has comorbidity.
  • A person with depression who also has generalized anxiety disorder has comorbidity.
  • A population that has a high prevalence of both diabetes and heart disease has comorbidity.

comorbidity relate terms

  • morbidity

    Etymology Latin morbidus sickly diseased Meaning The condition of being dise

  • morbid

    Meaning Relating to or characterized by morbidness gruesome or ghastly Etymology Mo

  • clue

    Etymology Old English clūwe meaning a ball of yarn Middle English clew meaning

  • stadium

    Etymology The word stadium comes from the Greek word στάδιον stadion meanin

  • shibboleth

  • censor

    Etymology Late Latin censere to assess a tax Latin census assessment registration

  • plot

    Etymology Plot derives from the Old English word plot which meant a piece of land

  • pivot

    Etymology The word pivot comes from the Old French word pivot which in turn derives

  • account

    Etymology The word account comes from the Old French word acount which in turn deriv

  • satellite

    Etymology The word satellite comes from the Latin word satelles which means atten

  • quarrel

    Etymology Middle English querele Old French querele Latin querela meaning complain