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Mental Disorders in People Affected by Thalidomide

Alexander Niecke1, Klaus Peters, Christina Samel

  • 1Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Cologne; Department of Orthopedics and Osteology, Dr. Becker Rhein-Sieg-Klinik Nümbrecht; Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology and Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Cologne; Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences; Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR), University of Cologne & University Hospital Cologne.

Deutsches Arzteblatt International
|April 6, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Thalidomide survivors experience mental disorders twice as often as the general population. Despite high need, psychosocial healthcare utilization remains low, indicating a significant unmet need for specialized services.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Sociology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Thalidomide's legacy includes persistent orthopedic and psychosocial issues for affected individuals.
  • Over 50 years post-market withdrawal, mental health remains a significant concern for thalidomide survivors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of mental disorders in individuals affected by thalidomide.
  • To assess the utilization of mental health services among this population.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 193 thalidomide-affected individuals underwent psychodiagnostic testing.
  • Utilized Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I & SCID-II) and self-reporting questionnaires for comprehensive assessment.

Main Results:

  • The four-week prevalence of mental disorders was 47.2%, with 45.1% experiencing multiple diagnoses.
  • Unipolar depressive, somatoform, phobic, and alcohol-related disorders were most common.
  • 80.2% with current mental disorders required immediate care, yet only 29.7% accessed psychosocial treatment in the past year.

Conclusions:

  • Thalidomide-affected individuals exhibit mental disorders at nearly double the rate of the general population.
  • A significant underuse of psychosocial healthcare services is evident in this group.
  • Specialized treatment services are needed to improve access and address healthcare barriers.
Abstract

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