Ethnic differences in physical and mental multimorbidity in working age adults with a history of depression and/or anxiety

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ethnic differences in physical and mental multimorbidity in working age adults with a history of depression and/or anxiety

AU - Ronaldson, Amy

AU - De La Torre, Jorge Arias

AU - Broadbent, Matthew

AU - Ashworth, Mark

AU - Armstrong, David

AU - Bakolis, Ioannis

AU - Hatch, Stephani L.

AU - Hotopf, Matthew

AU - Dregan, Alex

N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by a grant from the Guys & St Thomas Charity [grant number EIC 180 702]. JAT is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) [grant number MR/SO28188/1]; AD is funded by Guy's Charity [grant number EIC180702[ and the MRC [grant number MR/SO28188/1]. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press.

PY - 2022/11/24

Y1 - 2022/11/24

N2 - Background: The current study used data from an ethnically diverse population from South London to examine ethnic differences in physical and mental multimorbidity among working age (18-64 years) adults in the context of depression and anxiety. Method: The study included 44 506 patients who had previously attended Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services in the London Borough of Lambeth. Multinomial logistic regression examined cross-sectional associations between ethnicity with physical and mental multimorbidity. Patterns of multimorbidity were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: Within 44 056 working age adults with a history of depression or anxiety from South London there were notable ethnic differences in physical multimorbidity. Adults of Black Caribbean ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity [adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.36] compared to adults of White ethnicity. Relative to adults of White ethnicity, adults of Asian ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity at higher thresholds only (e.g. 4 + conditions; aRRR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.17-2.00). Three physical (atopic, cardiometabolic, mixed) and three mental (alcohol/substance use, common/severe mental illnesses, personality disorder) multimorbidity clusters emerged. Ethnic minority groups with multimorbidity had a higher probability of belonging to the cardiometabolic cluster. Conclusion: In an ethnically diverse population with a history of common mental health disorders, we found substantial between- and within-ethnicity variation in rates of physical, but not mental, multimorbidity. The findings emphasised the value of more granular definitions of ethnicity when examining the burden of physical and mental multimorbidity.

AB - Background: The current study used data from an ethnically diverse population from South London to examine ethnic differences in physical and mental multimorbidity among working age (18-64 years) adults in the context of depression and anxiety. Method: The study included 44 506 patients who had previously attended Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services in the London Borough of Lambeth. Multinomial logistic regression examined cross-sectional associations between ethnicity with physical and mental multimorbidity. Patterns of multimorbidity were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: Within 44 056 working age adults with a history of depression or anxiety from South London there were notable ethnic differences in physical multimorbidity. Adults of Black Caribbean ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity [adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.36] compared to adults of White ethnicity. Relative to adults of White ethnicity, adults of Asian ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity at higher thresholds only (e.g. 4 + conditions; aRRR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.17-2.00). Three physical (atopic, cardiometabolic, mixed) and three mental (alcohol/substance use, common/severe mental illnesses, personality disorder) multimorbidity clusters emerged. Ethnic minority groups with multimorbidity had a higher probability of belonging to the cardiometabolic cluster. Conclusion: In an ethnically diverse population with a history of common mental health disorders, we found substantial between- and within-ethnicity variation in rates of physical, but not mental, multimorbidity. The findings emphasised the value of more granular definitions of ethnicity when examining the burden of physical and mental multimorbidity.

KW - Anxiety

KW - cluster analysis

KW - common mental health disorders

KW - depression

KW - ethnicity

KW - multimorbidity

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85172425912

U2 - 10.1017/s0033291722003488

DO - 10.1017/s0033291722003488

M3 - Article

C2 - 36420618

AN - SCOPUS:85172425912

SN - 0033-2917

VL - 53

SP - 6212

EP - 6222

JO - Psychological Medicine

JF - Psychological Medicine

IS - 13

ER -