Disease Burden Among Individuals with Severe Mental Illness in a Community Setting.

Disease Burden Among Individuals with Severe Mental Illness in a Community Setting.

Baughman Kristin R; Bonfine Natalie; Dugan Sara E; Adams Richard; Gallagher Mary; Olds R Scott; Piatt Elizabeth; Ritter Christian

Community mental health journal

2016

2016-05

This study examines the prevalence of comorbid physical health conditions within a community sample of individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), compares them to a matched national sample without SMI, and identifies which comorbidities create the greatest disease burden for those with SMI. Self-reported health status, co-morbid medical conditions and perceived disease burden were collected from 203 adults with SMI. Prevalence of chronic health conditions was compared to a propensity-matched sample without SMI from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R). Compared to NCS-R sample without SMI, our sample with SMI had a higher prevalence of seven out of nine categories of chronic health conditions. Chronic pain and headaches, as well as the number of chronic conditions, were associated with increased disease burden for individuals with SMI. Further investigation of possible interventions, including effective pain management, is needed to improve the health status of this population.

*Cost of Illness; Adult; Assisted Living; Chronic Disease/*epidemiology; Chronic pain; Chronic Pain; Co-morbid illness; Comorbidity; Female; Headache; Health status; Health Status; Human; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Mental Disorders/complications/*epidemiology; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Self Report; Severe mental illness; Young Adult

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