Abstract
Purpose
Maccabi Healthcare Services, a large health maintenance organization (HMO) operating in Israel, has recently constructed a
computerized registry of patients with severe mental illnesses (SMI). In the present study, we aimed to use this registry
to investigate the epidemiology of schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder among adults, and to assess their comorbidity
and mortality compared to the general population.
computerized registry of patients with severe mental illnesses (SMI). In the present study, we aimed to use this registry
to investigate the epidemiology of schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder among adults, and to assess their comorbidity
and mortality compared to the general population.
Results
A total of 8,848 and 5,732 patients were diagnosed with bipolar (crude prevalence rate of 5 per 1,000) and schizophrenia (3
per 1,000), respectively. The annual incidence rates were 4.2 and 2.4 per 1,000 for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively.
On average, schizophrenic men were diagnosed 4–5 years earlier than schizophrenic women. Compared to the general population,
schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients had a 12- and 9-year shorter life expectancy, respectively. They were also more
likely to be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (odds ratio of 1.9 and 1.6, respectively).
per 1,000), respectively. The annual incidence rates were 4.2 and 2.4 per 1,000 for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively.
On average, schizophrenic men were diagnosed 4–5 years earlier than schizophrenic women. Compared to the general population,
schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients had a 12- and 9-year shorter life expectancy, respectively. They were also more
likely to be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (odds ratio of 1.9 and 1.6, respectively).
Conclusions
The current study demonstrates the potential use of automated medical databases to characterize the epidemiology of SMI in
the community. The increased comorbidity and mortality among these patients has important implication for health authorities
for prevention and delivery of health-care services.
the community. The increased comorbidity and mortality among these patients has important implication for health authorities
for prevention and delivery of health-care services.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.1007/s00127-012-0478-9
- Authors
- Arad Kodesh, Medical Division, Maccabi Healthcare Services, 27 Ha’Mered Street, Tel Aviv, 68125 Israel
- Inbal Goldshtein, Medical Division, Maccabi Healthcare Services, 27 Ha’Mered Street, Tel Aviv, 68125 Israel
- Marc Gelkopf, Department of Community Mental Health, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel
- Iris Goren, Medical Division, Maccabi Healthcare Services, 27 Ha’Mered Street, Tel Aviv, 68125 Israel
- Gabriel Chodick, Medical Division, Maccabi Healthcare Services, 27 Ha’Mered Street, Tel Aviv, 68125 Israel
- Varda Shalev, Medical Division, Maccabi Healthcare Services, 27 Ha’Mered Street, Tel Aviv, 68125 Israel
- Journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
- Online ISSN 1433-9285
- Print ISSN 0933-7954