'The study design employs exogenous injuries in bus accidents together with a matching procedure to simulate a random exposure to physical health shock. The study was conducted among travellers on state-owned buses in Karnataka, India,' investigators in the United States report (see also Mental Health).
'Exposure occurred between July and December 2005. were assessed from a household survey conducted in November-December 2006. Eighty-four injured passengers identified from bus accident compensation records were interviewed along with 336 unexposed individuals enrolled from passengers on the same accident bus routes, matched on age group, gender and village/neighbourhood of residence. The main outcome of Psychological Distress was measured using the Kessler-10 scale. Exposure to the health shock increases psychological distress by 1.5 standard deviations (SD) 1 year later (P < 0.01). Physical disability is a key mediating mechanism, accounting for 65% of the observed effect. After controlling for disability, odds of having distress levels commensurate with moderate/severe mental illness was 3.01 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-7.19]. Indebtedness resulting from the health shock did not mediate the association between shock and distress,' wrote M. Mohanan and colleagues, Duke University.
The researchers concluded: 'Evidence from this quasi-experimental study supports the hypothesis that acute physical health shocks can cause long-term mental health problems.'
Mohanan and colleagues published their study in International Journal of Epidemiology (Quasi-experimental evidence on the causal effects of physical health on mental health. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2010;39(2):487-493).
For additional information, contact J. Maselko, Duke University, Duke Global Health Institute, 114 Trent Hall, Trent Dr., Box 90519, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
The publisher of the International Journal of Epidemiology can be contacted at: Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon St., Oxford OX2 6DP, England.
Keywords: City:Box, State:NC, Country:United States, Mental Health
This article was prepared by Mental Health Weekly Digest editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, Mental Health Weekly Digest via NewsRx.com.
