Health Care Use in Patients with Somatoform, Anxiety, and Depressive Disorders
Author Information
Author(s): de Waal Margot WM, Arnold Ingrid A, Eekhof Just AH, Assendelft Willem JJ, van Hemert Albert M
Primary Institution: Leiden University Medical Center
Hypothesis
The study investigates the impact of somatoform, anxiety, and depressive disorders on primary care utilization.
Conclusion
Patients with somatoform disorders have a higher rate of primary care consultations compared to those without psychiatric disorders.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with psychiatric disorders had more face-to-face contacts with their family physician than those without.
- Undifferentiated somatoform disorders led to a 30% increase in consultations.
- Anxiety disorders did not have an independent effect on primary care utilization.
Takeaway
People with certain mental health issues, like somatoform disorders, visit their doctors more often than those without these issues.
Methodology
The study involved screening 1046 patients and interviewing a stratified sample of 473, with follow-up data collected from 400 patients.
Potential Biases
Potential over- or underestimation of health care use due to reliance on self-report data.
Limitations
The study did not account for disorders related to substance abuse, psychotic disorders, or personality disorders, and relied on self-reported data for some health care use.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 25 to 80, with a majority being Dutch natives.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.19
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.1–1.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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