The Joint Effect of Physical Multimorbidity and Mental Health Conditions Among Adults in Australia

The moderating effect of mental health and health insurance ownership on the relationships between physical multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation and catastrophic health expenditure in India

BACKGROUND

The current demographic transition has resulted in the growth of the older population in India, a population group which has a higher chance of being affected by multimorbidity and its subsequent healthcare and economic consequences. However, little attention has been paid to the dual effect of mental health conditions and physical multimorbidity in India. The present study, therefore, aimed to analyse the moderating effects of mental health and health insurance ownership in the association between physical multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE).

METHODS

We analysed the Longitudinal Aging Study in India, wave 1 (2017-2018). We determined physical multimorbidity by assessing the number of physical conditions. We built multivariable logistic regression models to determine the moderating effect of mental health and health insurance ownership in the association between the number of physical conditions and healthcare utilisation and CHE. Wald tests were used to evaluate if the estimated effects differ across groups defined by the moderating variables.

RESULTS

Overall, around one-quarter of adults aged 45 and above had physical multimorbidity, one-third had a mental health condition and 20.5% owned health insurance. Irrespective of having a mental condition and health insurance, physical multimorbidity was associated with increased utilisation of healthcare and CHE. Having an additional mental condition strengthened the adverse effect of physical multimorbidity on increased inpatient service use and experience of CHE. Having health insurance, on the other hand, attenuated the effect of experiencing CHE, indicating a protective effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The coexistence of mental health conditions in people with physical multimorbidity increases the demands of healthcare service utilisation and can lead to CHE. The findings point to the need for multidisciplinary interventions for individuals with physical multimorbidity, ensuring their mental health needs are also addressed. Our results urge enhancing health insurance schemes for individuals with mental and physical multimorbidity.

Disease mapping: Geographic differences in population rates of interventional treatment for prostate cancer in Australia

BACKGROUND

Treatment decisions for men diagnosed with prostate cancer depend on a range of clinical and patient characteristics such as disease stage, age, general health, risk of side effects and access. Associations between treatment patterns and area-level factors such as remoteness and socioeconomic disadvantage have been observed in many countries.

OBJECTIVE

To model spatial differences in interventional treatment rates for prostate cancer at high spatial resolution to inform policy and decision-making.

METHODS

Hospital separations data for interventional treatments for prostate cancer (radical prostatectomy, low dose rate and high dose rate brachytherapy) for men aged 40 years and over were modelled using spatial models, generalised linear mixed models, maximised excess events tests and k-means statistical clustering.

RESULTS

Geographic differences in population rates of interventional treatments were found (p<0.001). Separation rates for radical prostatectomy were lower in remote areas (12.2 per 10 000 person-years compared with 15.0-15.9 in regional and major city areas). Rates for all treatments decreased with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage (radical prostatectomy 19.1 /10 000 person-years in the most advantaged areas compared with 12.9 in the most disadvantaged areas). Three groups of similar areas were identified: those with higher rates of radical prostatectomy, those with higher rates of low dose brachytherapy, and those with low interventional treatment rates but higher rates of excess deaths. The most disadvantaged areas and remote areas tended to be in the latter group.

CONCLUSIONS

The geographic differences in treatment rates may partly reflect differences in patients' physical and financial access to treatments. Treatment rates also depend on diagnosis rates and thus reflect variation in investigation rates for prostate cancer and presentation of disease. Spatial variation in interventional treatments may aid identification of areas of under-treatment or over-treatment.

Functional limitation as a mediator of the relationship between multimorbidity on health-related quality of life in Australia: evidence from a national panel mediation analysis

Objective

The inverse relationships between chronic disease multimorbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have been well-documented in the literature. However, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains largely unknown. This is the first study to look into the potential role of functional limitation as a mediator in the relationship between multimorbidity and HRQoL.

Methods

This study utilized three recent waves of nationally representative longitudinal Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) surveys from 2009 to 2017 (n = 6,814). A panel mediation analysis was performed to assess the role of functional limitation as a mediator in the relationship between multimorbidity and HRQoL. The natural direct effect (NDE), indirect effect (NIE), marginal total effect (MTE), and percentage mediated were used to calculate the levels of the mediation effect.

Results

This study found that functional limitation is a significant mediator in the relationship between multimorbidity and HRQoL. In the logistic regression analysis, the negative impact of multimorbidity on HRQoL was reduced after functional limitation was included in the regression model. In the panel mediation analysis, our results suggested that functional limitation mediated ~27.2% (p < 0.05) of the link between multimorbidity and the composite SF-36 score for HRQoL. Functional limitation also mediated the relationship between the number of chronic conditions and HRQoL for each of the eight SF-36 dimensions, with a proportion mediated ranging from 18.4 to 28.8% (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Functional status has a significant impact on HRQoL in multimorbid patients. Treatment should concentrate on interventions that improve patients' functioning and mitigate the negative effects of multimorbidity.

Association of common mental disorders and related multimorbidity with subsequent labor market marginalization among refugee and Swedish-born young adults

Background

Common mental disorders (CMDs), multimorbidity, and refugee status are associated with poor labor market outcome. Little is known about how these factors interact in young adults.

Objective

We aimed to i) investigate whether the association of CMDs and multimorbidity with labor market marginalization (LMM) differs between refugee and Swedish-born young adults and ii) identify diagnostic groups with particularly high risk for LMM.

Methods

This longitudinal registry-based study included individuals aged 20–25 years followed from 2012 to 2016 in Sweden (41,516 refugees and 207,729 age and sex-matched Swedish-born individuals). LMM was defined as granted disability pension (DP) or &gt; 180 days of unemployment (UE). A disease co-occurrence network was constructed for all diagnostic groups from 2009 to 2011 to derive a personalized multimorbidity score for LMM. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios of LMM in refugee and Swedish-born youth as a function of their multimorbidity score. The relative risk (RR, 95% CI) of LMM for refugees with CMDs compared to Swedish-born with CMDs was computed in each diagnostic group.

Results

In total, 5.5% of refugees and 7.2% of Swedish-born with CMDs were granted DP; 22.2 and 9.4%, respectively received UE benefit during follow-up. While both CMDs and multimorbidity independently elevated the risk of DP considerably in Swedish-born, CMDs but not multimorbidity elevated the risk of UE. Regarding UE in refugees, multimorbidity with the presence of CMDs showed stronger estimates. Multimorbidity interacted with refugee status toward UE (p &lt; 0.0001) and with CMDs toward DP (p = 0.0049). Two diagnostic groups that demonstrated particularly high RR of UE were schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (RR [95% CI]: 3.46 [1.77, 6.75]), and behavioral syndromes (RR [95% CI]: 3.41 [1.90, 6.10]).

Conclusion

To combat LMM, public health measures and intervention strategies need to be tailored to young adults based on their CMDs, multimorbidity, and refugee status.

Economic evaluations of interventional opportunities for the management of mental-physical multimorbidity: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Economic evaluations of interventions for people with mental-physical multimorbidity, including a depressive disorder, are sparse. This study examines whether such interventions in adults are cost-effective.

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, Web of Science and NHS EED databases were searched until 5 March 2022.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included studies involving people aged ≥18 with two or more chronic conditions (one being a depressive disorder). Economic evaluation studies that compared costs and outcomes of interventions were included, and those that assessed only costs or effects were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two authors independently assessed risk of bias in included studies using recommended checklists. A narrative analysis of the characteristics and results by type of intervention and levels of healthcare provision was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 19 studies, all undertaken in high-income countries, met inclusion criteria. Four intervention types were reported: collaborative care, self-management, telephone-based and antidepressant treatment. Most (14 of 19) interventions were implemented at the organisational level and were potentially cost-effective, particularly, the collaborative care for people with depressive disorder and diabetes, comorbid major depression and cancer and depression and multiple long-term conditions. Cost-effectiveness ranged from £206 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for collaborative care programmes for older adults with diabetes and depression at primary care clinics (USA) to £79 723 per QALY for combining collaborative care with improved opportunistic screening for adults with depressive disorder and diabetes (England). Conclusions on cost-effectiveness were constrained by methodological aspects of the included studies: choice of perspectives, time horizon and costing methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Economic evaluations of interventions to manage multimorbidity with a depressive disorder are non-existent in low-income and middle-income countries. The design and reporting of future economic evaluations must improve to provide robust conclusions.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022302036.

Mortality among Canadian population with multimorbidity: A retrospective cohort study

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of multimorbidity and the joint effect of chronic diseases on all-cause mortality among subjects aged 35 years and above.

Study Design

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Methods

Multimorbidity was defined by the respondent's self-report of having two or more chronic diseases of the nine considered. The Canadian Community Health Surveys conducted in 2003/2004, 2005/2006 and 2007 to 2014 were linked with the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database to examine the association between multimorbidity and all-cause mortality in subjects aged 35 years and above. Cox's proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk of multimorbidity on death after adjusting for the confounders in three age groups.

Results

Multimorbidity had an increased risk of death in all three age groups with the youngest having the highest risk after adjusting for potential confounders (35 to 54 years: hazard ratio (HR) = 3.77, 95% CI: 3.04, 4.67; 55 to 64 years: HR = 2.64, 95% CI: 2.36, 2.95; 65 years and above: HR = 1.71; 95% CI:1.63,1.80). Subjects with cancer had the highest risk of death in the three age groups. When the interactions between chronic diseases were considered, subjects with COPD and diabetes had a significantly increased risk of death in comparison to those without COPD or diabetes in the 55 to 64 years. (HR = 2.59, 95% CI: 2.01, 3.34).

Conclusions

Prevention of multimorbidity should be targeted not only in the older population but also in the younger populations. Synergistic effects of chronic diseases should be considered in the management of multimorbidities.

The trend in quality of life of Chinese population: analysis based on population health surveys from 2008 to 2020

BACKGROUND

Quality of life (QoL) is one of the most important indicators for evaluating an individual's overall health status. However, evidence exploring the trend in QoL of the Chinese population is still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the trend in QoL of the Chinese population measured by the EQ-5D from 2008 to 2020, as well as compare the changing trends in QoL categorized by populations with different socio-demographic characteristics.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the 2008, 2013, and 2020 waves of the Health Services Surveys conducted in Tianjin, China. Respondents completed the EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L in 2008 and 2013 and EQ-5D-5L in 2020) through face-to-face interviews or self-administration. Responses of the EQ-5D-3L in 2008 and 2013 were mapped onto the EQ-5D-5L responses, and then converted to utility values using the Chinese value set. The trend in QoL was explored by comparing the percentage of any reported problems on each EQ-5D dimension and the corresponding utility values across the three waves. Subgroup analyses were performed to compare trends in utility values stratified by socio-demographic indicators. The effect of the time variable (year) on utility values was assessed by multiple linear regression analyses using the pooled data.

RESULTS

By analyzing and comparing the three waves of the data (N = 25,939 in the 2008 wave, N = 22,138 in 2013, and N = 19,177 in 2020), an upward trend was observed in the percentages of reporting problems on all five dimensions (p < 0.001), resulting in a decreasing trend in utility values (2008: 0.948, 2013: 0.942, 2020: 0.939, p < 0.001). Utility values declined more over time among the female, the elder, the recipients of medical assistance, the widowed, the unemployed, and respondents with primary or lower education. The effect of the year (Coef. for 2013 = - 0.009, p < 0.001; Coef. for 2020 = - 0.010, p < 0.001) confirmed the downward trend in the utility values.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall QoL of the Chinese population decreased over the period from 2008 to 2020. The QoL of the disadvantaged or vulnerable populations in terms of socioeconomic characteristics declined more over time.

Reconciling validity and challenges of patient comfort and understanding: Guidelines to patient-oriented questionnaires

Background

Patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) are widely recognized as important tools for achieving a patient‐centred approach in health research. While PROMs are subject to several stages of validation during development, even questionnaires with robust psychometric properties may challenge patient comfort and understanding.

Aim

Building on the experience of patient engagement in the PriCARE research programme, this paper outlines the team's response to concerns raised by patient partners regarding the administration of the questionnaire.

Methods

Based on a participatory action research design and the patient engagement framework in the Strategy for Patient‐Oriented Research of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, PriCARE team members worked together to discuss concerns, review the questionnaires and come up with solutions. Data were collected through participant observation of team meetings.

Results

This paper demonstrates how patient partners were engaged in PriCARE and integrated into the programme's governance structure, focusing on the challenges that they raised regarding the questionnaires and how these were addressed by PriCARE team members in a six‐step approach: (1) Recognizing patient partner concerns, discussing concerns and reframing the challenges; (2) Detailing and sharing evidence of the validity of the questionnaires; (3) Evaluating potential solutions; (4) Searching the literature for guidelines; (5) Creating guidelines; and (6) Sharing and refining guidelines.

Conclusion

This six‐step approach demonstrates how research teams can integrate patient partners as equal members, develop meaningful collaboration through recognition of individual experiences and expertise and ensure that the patient perspective is taken into consideration in research and healthcare innovation.

Patient or Public Contribution

All patient partners from the PriCARE programme were actively involved in the six‐step approach. They were also involved in the preparation of the manuscript.

Urban-rural differences in the impacts of multiple chronic disease on functional limitations and work productivity among Chinese adults

BACKGROUND

Chronic disease multimorbidity has become a major challenge for health systems. While a lot of research has evaluated the direct economic burden of multimorbidity on health care utilization and cost, little attention has been given to the impacts on work productivity and functional limitations, as indirect indicators of disease burden.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to examine the prevalence of multimorbidity among Chinese adults and its impact on functional disability and work productivity. It also investigates urban-rural differences in these relationships.

METHOD

This study utilized the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2015, including 11,176 participants aged 45 years and older. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the effect of multimorbidity on functional disability (i.e. ADL: activities of daily life; IADL: instrumental activities of daily life), and work productivity loss due to health problems. Negative binomial regression models were used to assess the association of multimorbidity with sickness absences from agricultural work and employed non-agricultural work.

RESULTS

68.8% of total participants in CHARLS had multimorbidity in China in 2015. Rural residents with multimorbidity reported higher proportions of physical functions and days of sick leave than urban residents. Multimorbidity was positively associated with ADL limitation (odds ratio 1.924, 95% CI 1.656-2.236), IADL limitation (1.522, 1.326-1.748), limited work due to health problems (1.868, 1.601-2.178) and days of sick leave (for agricultural work, incidence rate ratio 1.676, 95% CI 1.390-2.020; for employed non-agricultural work, 2.418, 1.245-4.696). For the rural group, the impact of multimorbidity on functional limitations and work productivity loss (except for early retirement), was less than the urban group.

CONCLUSIONS

Multimorbidity poses significant challenges for functional health and work productivity These have significant negative economic consequences for individuals, the Chinese health system and the society.