High Occurrence of Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Behavior Across Dementia Subtypes

OBJECTIVE

To compare occurrence of clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior (mental health disorders) across dementia subtypes in the largest healthcare system in the United States.

METHODS

We aggregated two national databases (Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] National Patient Care Database, National Suicide Prevention Applications Network [SPAN]) and estimated 2-year prevalence of mental health disorders across five dementia subtypes during fiscal years 2012-2013. Using VA healthcare systems throughout the United States, the sample included 56,296 older patients (≥50 years) with Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 30,578), vascular dementia (VD; n = 17,924), frontotemporal dementia (FTD; n = 1,181), Lewy body dementia (LBD; n = 3,194), and mixed dementia (MD; n = 3,419). Mental health disorders were determined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes and the National SPAN.

RESULTS

Roughly 25% of patients had at least one mental health disorder, with 2-year prevalence reaching 30%-45% in FTD, VD, LBD, and MD. Compared with other subtypes, patients with FTD had the highest prevalence of mood (19%), anxiety (20%), and substance use (19%) disorders, as well as suicidal behavior (4%), with nearly 0.5% with a suicidal plan/attempt. Those with VD also showed a high prevalence of these disorders (14%-17%). Although patients with LBD and MD had a slightly lower prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders (12%-15%), they had a much lower prevalence of substance use disorders (9%) and suicidal behavior (2%). Patients with AD had the lowest 2-year prevalence of all mental health disorders (<7%).

CONCLUSION

Occurrence of mental health disorders is high and differs across dementia subtypes, highlighting the importance of reducing the burden of mental health disorders in dementia subtypes.

Predictors of Mental Health Services Use Across the Life Course among Racially-Ethnically Diverse Adults

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about key factors associated with use of mental health services across the life course. This study determined key socioeconomic, social support, psychiatric, and medical predictors of services use in younger, middle, and older age.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, MEASUREMENTS

The sample included 3,708 adults with DSM-IV-based mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys. Key predictors of mental health services use for each age group were systematically determined by multivariable models, and exploratory analyses examining potential effect modification by race-ethnicity and sex were assessed by interaction terms. Statistical analyses included complex design-corrected and weighted logistic regression analyses that provide results generalizable to the United States.

RESULTS

Psychiatric and medical issues such as prior suicidal behavior, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and perceived cognitive impairment increased odds of mental health services use in younger, middle, and older age. Chronic medical conditions also influenced services use in younger and older age, with their impact on use across age potentially modified by racial-ethnic disparities (p interaction = 0.01). Moreover, socioeconomic factors like marital status influenced use in middle and older age, where being divorced, separated, widowed, or never married encouraged use. The effect of marital status on use across age was also potentially modified by racial-ethnic disparities (p interaction = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Key socioeconomic, social support, psychiatric, and medical predictors uniquely influence use of mental health services across the life course. These findings will help inform efforts to encourage greater services use by adults across the life course in need of care.

Mental Health Service Use Across the Life Course Among Adults With Psychiatric Disorders and Prior Suicidal Behavior

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about mental health service use by adults with prior suicidal behavior and current mood or anxiety disorders. This study determined nationally representative prevalence estimates of current mental health service use by these adults, examining racial-ethnic, age, and gender differences.

METHODS

Service use across the life course was examined with Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Survey data from 1,139 adults with a history of suicidal behavior and current mood or anxiety disorders.

RESULTS

Overall service use was 47.3%. Across the life course, African Americans showed increasing service use that paralleled use by non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, and others, whereas use by these three groups decreased in the latter half of the life course (p interaction=.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Adults with prior suicidal behavior and current mood or anxiety disorders have low mental health service use. Findings of racial-ethnic disparities in use can help identify those in need of care.