Depression exacerbates problems associated with other illness, a new study suggests.

Depression can be more damaging to everyday health than chronic diseases, including angina, arthritis, asthma and diabetes, according to investigators for the World Health Organization. Depression actually worsens the chronic condition of people who are already ill, they found.

The findings suggests the need better treatment for depression since it has such a strong impact on overall health, and especially people with chronic illnesses, investigators said. They analyzed data from 60 countries and more than 240,000 people to reach their findings.