Researchers from Case Western Reserve University Report New Studies and Findings in the Area of Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Mental Health Diagnoses and Services Utilization Vary By Wage Level): Mental Health Diseases and Conditions

2023 JUN 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Mental Health Diseases and Conditions have been published. According to news reporting from Cleveland, Ohio, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “The relationship between employee wage status and mental health care utilization has not been characterized in large-scale analyses. This study assessed health care utilization and cost patterns for mental health diagnoses according to wage category among employees with health insurance.”

Funders for this research include ~Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc., Lundbeck Corporation.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Case Western Reserve University, “This was an observational, retrospective cohort study for the year 2017 among 2,386,844 adult full-time employees (254,851 with mental health disorders; subgroup of 125,247 with depression) enrolled in self-insured plans in the IBM Watson Health MarketScan research database. Participants were stratified into annual wage categories: $34,000 or less; more than $34,000 to $45,000; more than $45,000 to $69,000; more than $69,000 to $103,000; and more than $103,000. Health care utilization and costs were analyzed via regression analyses.Prevalence of diagnosed mental health disorders was 10.7% (9.3% in the lowest-wage category); prevalence of depression was 5.2% (4.2% in the lowest-wage category). Severity of mental health, and specifically depression episodes, was greater in lower-wage categories. All-cause utilization of health care services was higher in patients with mental health diagnoses vs the total population. Among patients with mental health diagnoses, specifically depression, utilization was highest in the lowest-vs highest-wage category for hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and prescription drug supply (all P< .0001).”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “All-cause health care costs were higher in the lowest-vs highest-wage category among patients with mental health diagnoses ($11,183 vs $10,519; P< .0001), specifically depression ($12,206 vs $11,272; P< .0001).Lower mental health condition prevalence and greater use of high-intensity health care resources highlight the need to more effectively identify and manage mental health conditions among lower-wage workers.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Mental Health Diagnoses and Services Utilization Vary By Wage Level. The American Journal of Managed Care, 2023;29(4). The American Journal of Managed Care can be contacted at: Managed Care & Healthcare Communications Llc, 666 Plainsboro Rd, Ste 300, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Bruce W. Sherman, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States. Additional authors for this research include Debra F. Lawrence, Maja Kuharic, Lambros Chrones, Sheetal Patel and Maelys Touya.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2023.89345. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)