Tag: Mental Health Mortality

What is the Association of Urbanicity with Schizophrenia & Related Mortality in China?

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Research Paper Title

Association of Urbanicity with Schizophrenia and Related Mortality in China: Association de l’urbanicité avec la schizophrénie et la mortalité qui y est reliée en Chine.

Background

Although higher prevalence of schizophrenia in Chinese urban areas was observed, studies focused on the association between schizophrenia and urbanicity were less in China. Using a national representative population-based data set, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between urbanicity and schizophrenia and its related mortality among adults aged 18 years old and above in China.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Second China National Sample Survey on Disability in 2006 and follow-up studies from 2007 to 2010 each year. We restricted our analysis to 1,909,205 participants aged 18 years or older and the 2,071 schizophrenia patients with information of survival and all-caused mortality of the follow-up surveys from 2007 to 2010.

Schizophrenia was ascertained according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision. The degree of urbanicity and the region of residence were used to be the proxies of urbanicity. Of these, the degree of urbanicity measured by the ratio of non-agricultural population to total population and the region of residence measured by six categorical variables (first-tier cities, first-tier city suburbs, second-tier cities, second-tier city suburbs, other city areas, and rural areas).

Logistics regression models and restricted polynomial splines were used to examine the linear/nonlinear relationship between urbanicity and the risk of schizophrenia. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to test the role of urbanicity on mortality risk of schizophrenia patients.

Results

10% increase in the degree of urbanicity was associated with increased risk of schizophrenia (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.57). The nonlinear model further confirmed the association between the degree of urbanicity and the risk of schizophrenia. This association existed sex difference, as the level of urbanicity increased, schizophrenia risk of males grew faster than the risk of females. The hazard ratio (HR) of mortality in schizophrenia patients decreased with the elevated of urbanicity level, with a HR of 0.42 (95% CI, 0.21 to 0.84).

Conclusions

This research suggested that incremental changes in the degree of urbanicity linked to higher risk of schizophrenia, and as the degree of urbanicity elevated, the risk of schizophrenia increased more for men than for women. Additionally, the researchers found that schizophrenia patients in higher degree of urbanicity areas had lower risk of mortality.

These findings contributed to the literature on schizophrenia in developing nations under a non-Western context and indicates that strategies to improve mental health conditions are needed in the progress of urbanicity.

Reference

Luo, Y., Pang, L., Guo, C., Zhang, L. & Zheng, X. (2020) Association of Urbanicity with Schizophrenia and Related Mortality in China: Association de l’urbanicité avec la schizophrénie et la mortalité qui y est reliée en Chine. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. doi: 10.1177/0706743720954059. Online ahead of print.

What is the Impact of Onset of Psychiatric Disorders & Psychiatric Treatment on Mortality Among Patients with Cancer?

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Research Paper Title

Impact of Onset of Psychiatric Disorders and Psychiatric Treatment on Mortality Among Patients with Cancer.

Background

Psychiatric disorders are common in patients with cancer.

The impact of both psychiatric disorders and psychiatric treatment on mortality in patients with cancer needs to be established.

Methods

Nationwide claims data were analysed.

To investigate the association between psychiatric disorders and mortality, 6,292 male and 4,455 female patients with cancer who did not have a record of psychiatric disorders before cancer onset were included.

To examine the association between psychiatric treatment and mortality, 1,467 male and 1,364 female patients with cancer were included.

Incident psychiatric disorder and receipt of psychiatric treatment within 30 days from the onset of a psychiatric disorder were the main independent variables.

Dependent variables were all-cause and cancer-related mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression with time-dependent covariates was used.

Results

The onset of psychiatric disorders was associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality in both male (all-cause hazard ratio [HR]: 1.55; cancer-related HR: 1.47) and female patients with cancer (all-cause HR: 1.50; cancer-related HR: 1.44) compared with patients with cancer without psychiatric disorders.

Both male and female patients who received psychiatric treatment within 30 days of diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder had a lower risk of cancer-related mortality (males, HR: 0.73; females, HR: 0.71) compared with patients with cancer with psychiatric disorders who did not receive psychiatric treatment.

Conclusions

Patients with cancer with newly diagnosed psychiatric disorders had a higher mortality rate.

Among these, those who received psychiatric treatment showed lower rates of mortality.

Thus, early detection and early treatment of psychiatric disorders in patients with cancer is needed.

Implications for Practice

The current study supplements the body of evidence supporting the association of psychiatric disorders onset and treatment with cancer outcomes.

Patients with cancer showed an increased risk of both all-cause and cancer-related mortality upon psychiatric disorder onset.

Among patients with newly diagnosed psychiatric disorders, those who received psychiatric treatment showed lower cancer-related mortality.

Thus, raising awareness of both the risk of psychiatric disorders and the positive effects of psychiatric treatment on cancer outcomes is necessary among patients with cancer, caregivers, and oncologists.

Furthermore, it is necessary to adopt a multidisciplinary approach, encouraging patients with cancer to undergo a neuropsychological assessment of their mental health status and receive appropriate and timely psychological interventions.

Reference

Lee, S.A., Nam, C.M., Kim, Y.H., Kim, T.H., Jang, S.I., Park, E.C. (2020) Impact of Onset of Psychiatric Disorders and Psychiatric Treatment on Mortality Among Patients with Cancer. The Oncologist. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0396. [Epub ahead of print].

Specialist Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Candidate Roles & the Benefits these Roles can have in Reducing the Significant Morbidity & Mortality of Mental Health Consumers

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Research Paper Title

Improving physical health outcomes for people with severe mental illness: A proof-of-concept study of nurse practitioner candidate practice.

Background

People with severe mental illness have significantly reduced life expectancy and higher risk of cardiovascular diseases than the general population.

There is a critical need for quality physical health care to improve consumers’ health outcomes.

There is minimal knowledge, however, on the impact of mental health nurse practitioner candidate (NPC) practices on consumers’ health outcomes.

The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to describe the impacts of NPC practices on the quality of physical healthcare provision and physical health outcomes (cardiovascular and cardiometabolic) of consumers in community mental health service settings.

Methods

Using a mixed methods design, quantitative data were collected for 12 months prior to (Period 1), and 12 months during (Period 2), the candidacy period.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of n = 10 consumers to explore their perspectives on physical healthcare provision by the NPCs.

During the 12-month candidacy period, the number of metabolic monitoring assessments rose from n = 55 in Period 1 to n = 146 in Period 2 (P < 0.01, χ2 = 41.20).

Advanced practices provided by NPCs included taking an extensive holistic history and clinical examination, ordering diagnostic pathology, and clinical simulation of physical health medication prescription (under medical supervision).

Results

Analysis of consumer interviews resulted in two themes:

  • Positive and helpful NPC health care; and
  • Improvements in physical and mental health.

Conclusions

The findings add new knowledge on specialist mental health nurse practitioner candidate roles and demonstrate the benefits these roles can have in reducing the significant morbidity and mortality of mental health consumers.

Reference

Furness, T., Giandinoto, J.A., Wordie-Thompson, E., Woolley, S., Dempster, V. & Foster, K. (2019) Improving physical health outcomes for people with severe mental illness: A proof-of-concept study of nurse practitioner candidate practice. International Journal of Mental health Nursing. doi: 10.1111/inm.12680. [Epub ahead of print].

Providing a Starting Point for Discussions, Dialogue, and Further Study Regarding Mental Health Research for Indigenous Peoples around the World

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Research Paper Title

The mental health of Indigenous peoples in Canada: A critical review of research.

Background

Many scholars assert that Indigenous peoples across the globe suffer a disproportionate burden of mental illness.

Research indicates that colonialism and its associated processes are important determinants of Indigenous peoples’ health internationally.

In Canada, despite an abundance of health research documenting inequalities in morbidity and mortality rates for Indigenous peoples, relatively little research has focused on mental health.

This paper provides a critical scoping review of the literature related to Indigenous mental health in Canada.

Methods

searched eleven databases and two Indigenous health-focused journals for research related to mental health, Indigenous peoples, and Canada, for the years 2006-2016.

Over two hundred papers are included in the review and coded according to research theme, population group, and geography.

Results

Results demonstrate that the literature is overwhelmingly concerned with issues related to colonialism in mental health services and the prevalence and causes of mental illness among Indigenous peoples in Canada, but with several significant gaps.

Mental health research related to Indigenous peoples in Canada overemphasises suicide and problematic substance use; a more critical use of the concepts of colonialism and historical trauma is advised; and several population groups are underrepresented in research, including Métis peoples and urban or off-reserve Indigenous peoples.

Conclusions

The findings are useful in an international context by providing a starting point for discussions, dialogue, and further study regarding mental health research for Indigenous peoples around the world.

Reference

Nelson, S.E. & Wilson, K. (2017) The mental health of Indigenous peoples in Canada: A critical review of research. Social Science & Medicine (1982). 176, pp.93-112. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.021. Epub 2017 Jan 18.