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Arthritis and physical-mental comorbidity in metropolitan China
Sing Lee1, Adley Tsang, Yue-qin Huang
1Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. singlee@cuhk.edu.hk
Background:
This study estimates psychiatric and physical comorbidity among people reporting arthritis and related role impairment in metropolitan China.
Methods:
Data were derived from a large-scale and representative household survey of adult respondents in Beijing and Shanghai. Arthritis and other chronic physical conditions were assessed by self-report. Mental disorders were assessed by the World Mental Health version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview.
Results:
Of the respondents reporting arthritis in Beijing (8.6%) and Shanghai (15.3%), the vast majority (Beijing, 85.2%; Shanghai, 79.9%) also reported at least one other comorbid condition, including chronic pain (Beijing, 73.4%; Shanghai, 64.8%), chronic physical diseases (Beijing, 54.7%; Shanghai, 57.2%), and mental disorders (Beijing, 10.5%; Shanghai, 10.0%). Arthritis was significantly associated with role impairment, but the association disappeared after controlling for demographic variables and comorbidities.
Conclusions:
Physical-mental comorbidity is common and has important clinical and public health implications in China. Reasons for regional differences in prevalence and pattern of comorbidity require further study.