27 Oct Majority of US Adults Have At Least One Chronic Health Condition
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Elizabeth Walker
Elizabeth Walker, PhD, MPH, MAT
Research Assistant Professor
Assistant Director of Evidence-based Learning
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Rollins School of Public Health
Emory University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Previous research has shown that many adults in the United States have one or more chronic health condition; however, not much was known about multimorbidities – having multiple chronic conditions – among people with mental disorders. We used nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to determine the patterns of co-occurrence of mental illness, substance abuse and/or dependence, and chronic medical conditions. We also examined the association between the cumulative burden of these conditions, as well as living in poverty, and self-rated health.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: The majority of adults (52.2%) had at least one type of condition (mental illness, substance abuse/dependence, or chronic medical conditions), with substantial overlap across the conditions. 1.2%, or about 2.2 million people, reported all three conditions. People with any mental illness were over three times more likely to report substance abuse and/or dependence, almost 1.5 times more likely to have a chronic medical condition, and 1.2 times more likely to live in poverty compared to people without any mental illness.
Generally, as the number of conditions increased, the odds of reporting worse health also increased. The likelihood of reporting worse health was greatest for people who reported any mental illness, chronic medical conditions, and poverty. For each combination of conditions, the addition of poverty increased the likelihood of reporting poorer health.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Traditionally, multimorbidity has often been defined as two or more chronic medical conditions. Our findings indicate that ideas about multimorbidity should be expanded to take into account the complexities of co-occurrence between mental illnesses, chronic medical conditions, substance abuse, and poverty.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: Future research can examine best practices for managing the health of individuals with multimorbidities, particularly strategies that go beyond the healthcare system to address poverty and other social challenges.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:. Elizabeth Reisinger Walker, Benjamin G. Druss. Cumulative burden of comorbid mental disorders, substance use disorders, chronic medical conditions, and poverty on health among adults in the U.S.A.. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 2016; 1
DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2016.1227855
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com
[wysija_form id=”5″]
Last Updated on October 27, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD