Mental Health and Access to Medical Care in Patients with Chronic Cardiovascular Conditions: An Analysis of the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17161/kjm.vol15.15745Abstract
Introduction. Poor mental health is associated with worse outcomes for chronic diseases. It is unclear whether mental illness predisposes to difficulties with healthcare access.
Methods. Using a combined dataset of the 2016-2019 behavioral risk factor surveillance system, we included individuals who reported a chronic cardiovascular condition. Weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between domains of mental health and measures of healthcare access including delaying medical care, > 1 year since last routine checkup, lack of a primary care physician (PCP), and cost-related medication nonadherence (CRMNA).
Results. Among 1,747, 397 participants, 27% had a chronic cardiovascular condition, 12% had clinical depression, and 12% had poor mental health. Those with poor mental health (OR 3.20 [3.08 – 3.33]) and clinical depression (OR 2.43 [2.35 – 2.52]) were more likely to report delays in medical care. Those with greater stress frequency (OR 8.47 [6.84 -10.49] stressed all of the time), lower levels of emotional support received (OR 3.07 [2.21 – 4.26] rarely get needed emotional support), and greater life dissatisfaction (6.66 [4.14 – 10.70] very dissatisfied) reported greater delays in medical care.
Conclusions. Individuals with poor mental health have greater difficulty accessing medical care independent of socioeconomic variables.
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Copyright (c) 2022 Riyad Y. Kherallah, M.D., Mahmoud Al Rifai, M.D., MPH, Jing Liu, M.D., Sina Kianoush, M.D., MPH, Arunima Misra, M.D., Salim S. Virani, M.D., Ph.D.

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All articles in the Kansas Journal of Medicine are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0).