Everyone in California and the rest of the country knows how bad the nation's economic situation is, and how the housing market has caused so much trouble throughout the economy. The even worse news, although perhaps not very surprising, is that the bad economy and the terrible housing market are affecting the nation's health. Not just its economic health, but its medical health.

A new study has discovered very high rates of depression among adults who are delinquent on their mortgage payments.

With millions of people in foreclosure, and millions more behind on their mortgage payments, the increase in depression could trigger a major public health crisis.

San Diego insolvency attorneys noted that the study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, examined nearly 2,500 people over a two-year period and took measurements of their health, their psychological state and their access to medical care.

For adults who were not behind on their mortgage payments, around 3 percent showed indications of depression. Shockingly, among adults who were behind on mortgage payments, 22 percent showed symptoms of depression.

Also troubling was a finding that people who were behind on their mortgage payments were six times more likely to skip taking their prescription medication than was the group who was not behind on mortgage payments.

The principal author of the study has said that the situation has gotten worse in the last few years, because mortgage problems have also been combined with long-term unemployment. Both types of economic hardship have been shown to result in increased rates of depression.

Source: NBC "Foreclosures Harming Nation's Health: Study" Oct. 24, 2011