Psychiatric morbidity and physician visits: lessons from Ontario

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Psychiatric morbidity significantly impacts individuals' lives and healthcare needs.
• Understanding the relationship between mental health and healthcare utilization is crucial for resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between psychiatric morbidity and healthcare service use.
• To determine if psychiatric disorders predict higher visit rates to general practitioners and family practitioners in Ontario, Canada.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale household survey of physical and mental health was conducted in Ontario, Canada.
• A sample of 8,116 individuals was analyzed using a nested set of hypotheses.
• The World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) was employed for standardized diagnostic assessment.

Main Results:

• Individuals with psychiatric disorders exhibit higher visit rates to general and family practitioners.
• This increased utilization cannot be solely explained by sociodemographic factors, medical status, or access to care.
• The findings suggest that individuals with mental health conditions utilize the general medical system more frequently.

Conclusions:

• Psychiatric morbidity is a significant predictor of increased healthcare service use.
• The association between mental health conditions and higher visit rates is most pronounced in individuals with multiple psychiatric disorders.