1
|
Ruffieux Y, Wettstein A, Maartens G, Folb N, Mesa-Vieira C, Didden C, Tlali M, Williams C, Cornell M, Schomaker M, Johnson LF, Joska JA, Egger M, Haas AD. Life years lost associated with mental illness: A cohort study of beneficiaries of a South African medical insurance scheme. J Affect Disord 2023; 340:204-212. [PMID: 37544483 PMCID: PMC10924225 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with mental illness have a reduced life expectancy, but the extent of the mortality gap and the contribution of natural and unnatural causes to excess mortality among people with mental illness in South Africa are unknown. METHODS We analysed reimbursement claims from South African medical insurance scheme beneficiaries aged 15-85 years. We estimated excess life years lost (LYL) associated with organic, substance use, psychotic, mood, anxiety, eating, personality, developmental or any mental disorders. RESULTS We followed 1,070,183 beneficiaries for a median of three years, of whom 282,926 (26.4 %) received mental health diagnoses. Men with a mental health diagnosis lost 3.83 life years (95 % CI 3.58-4.10) compared to men without. Women with a mental health diagnosis lost 2.19 life years (1.97-2.41) compared to women without. Excess mortality varied by sex and diagnosis, from 11.50 LYL (95 % CI 9.79-13.07) among men with alcohol use disorder to 0.87 LYL (0.40-1.43) among women with generalised anxiety disorder. Most LYL were attributable to natural causes (men: 3.42, women: 1.94). A considerable number of LYL were attributable to unnatural causes among men with bipolar (1.52) or substance use (2.45) disorder. LIMITATIONS Mental diagnoses are based on reimbursement claims. CONCLUSIONS Premature mortality among South African individuals with mental disorders is high. Our findings support interventions for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of physical comorbidities in this population. Targeted programs for suicide prevention and substance use treatment, particularly among men, can help reduce excess mortality from unnatural causes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Ruffieux
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anja Wettstein
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gary Maartens
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Cristina Mesa-Vieira
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School of Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christiane Didden
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Sociology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Mpho Tlali
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Morna Cornell
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michael Schomaker
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Statistics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Leigh F Johnson
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - John A Joska
- HIV Mental Health Research Unit, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Matthias Egger
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andreas D Haas
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Haas AD, Lienhard R, Didden C, Cornell M, Folb N, Boshomane TMG, Salazar-Vizcaya L, Ruffieux Y, Nyakato P, Wettstein AE, Tlali M, Davies MA, von Groote P, Wainberg M, Egger M, Maartens G, Joska JA. Mental Health, ART Adherence, and Viral Suppression Among Adolescents and Adults Living with HIV in South Africa: A Cohort Study. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:1849-1861. [PMID: 36592251 PMCID: PMC10149479 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03916-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We followed adolescents and adults living with HIV aged older than 15 years who enrolled in a South African private-sector HIV programme to examine adherence and viral non-suppression (viral load > 400 copies/mL) of participants with (20,743, 38%) and without (33,635, 62%) mental health diagnoses. Mental health diagnoses were associated with unfavourable adherence patterns. The risk of viral non-suppression was higher among patients with organic mental disorders [adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-1.96], substance use disorders (aRR 1.53, 95% CI 1.19-1.97), serious mental disorders (aRR 1.30, 95% CI 1.09-1.54), and depression (aRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.28) when compared with patients without mental health diagnoses. The risk of viral non-suppression was also higher among males, adolescents (15-19 years), and young adults (20-24 years). Our study highlights the need for psychosocial interventions to improve HIV treatment outcomes-particularly of adolescents and young adults-and supports strengthening mental health services in HIV treatment programmes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas D Haas
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Raphael Lienhard
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christiane Didden
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Sociology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Morna Cornell
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Tebatso M G Boshomane
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Luisa Salazar-Vizcaya
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yann Ruffieux
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Patience Nyakato
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Anja E Wettstein
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.,Graduate School of Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mpho Tlali
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mary-Ann Davies
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Per von Groote
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Milton Wainberg
- Department of Psychiatry and New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthias Egger
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.,Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Gary Maartens
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - John A Joska
- HIV Mental Health Research Unit, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|