Contribution of the Economic Crisis to the Risk Increase of Poor Mental Health in a Region of Spain (original) (raw)

The evolution of mental health during the Spanish economic crisis

We analyse how mental health and socioeconomic inequalities have changed in the Spanish population, aged 16--64, between 2006/07 and 2011/12. An increase in poor mental health was found for men, PR=1.15 95%CI 1.04--1.26, especially those aged 35--54, those with secondary and primary education, those from semi--qualified social class, and breadwinner. None of these associations remained after adjusting for working status. The RII by social class increased for men from 1.02 to 1.08 (p=0.001). A slight decrease in poor mental health was found for women, PR=0.92 95%CI 0.87--0.98, without any significant change in health inequality.

Prevalence of Mental Disorders in the South-East of Spain, One of the European Regions Most Affected by the Economic Crisis: The Cross-Sectional PEGASUS-Murcia Project

PloS one, 2015

To describe the lifetime and 12-month prevalence, severity and age of onset distribution of DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) disorders and to explore the association between socio-demographic variables and economic stressors with mental disorders during the economic crisis in the general population of Murcia (Spain). The PEGASUS-Murcia Project is a cross-sectional face-to-face interview survey of a representative sample of non-institutionalized adults in Murcia administered between June 2010 and May 2012. DSM-IV disorders were assessed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). Main outcome measures were lifetime and 12-month prevalence of Anxiety, Mood, Impulse and Substance Disorders, Severity and Age of Onset. Sociodemographic variables and stressful economic life events during the preceding 12 months were entered as independent variables in a logistic regression analysis. A total of 2,621 participants (67.4% response rate) were ...

Effects of the economic crisis on demand due to mental disorders in Asturias: data from the Asturias Cumulative Psychiatric Case Register (2000-2010)

Actas españolas de psiquiatría

The economic crisis has negative effects on the population’s physical and mental health. Our objective has been to study the association between socioeconomic status and number of people demanding mental health services. We performed a correlation analysis of administrative morbidity data (incidence and prevalence) of mental illness (obtained from the Asturias Cumulative Psychiatric Case Register) and three economic indicators (unemployment, consumer price index and gross domestic product). The increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a clear decrease in both new and prevalent mental health demand. CPI has a minor weak positive correlation with the administrative incidence of some mental disorders (Neurotic disorders, Schizophrenia and addictions). GDP does not show a significant correlation with the administrative incidence and it is strongly associated with an increased administrative prevalence that is more intense in the case of alcoholism, neurotic disorders, mental...

Socio-Economic Development and Mental Health: Case Study of the Spanish Region of Aragon (2010–20)

Frontiers in Psychology

IntroductionConsidering health as a cross-cutting element of all public policies leads to rethinking its interactions with the environment in which people live. The collection of large volumes of data by public administrations offers the opportunity to monitor and analyze the possible associations between health and territory. The increase in the incidence and prevalence of mental health diseases, particularly depression, justifies the need to develop studies that seek to identify links with the socioeconomic and environmental setting.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to explain the behavior of the depression in a mediterranean region of Northeastern Spain from an ecological and diachronic perspective.MethodsWe conducted a correlation and multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify explanatory factors of the prevalence of depression in 2010 and 2020 and in the variation rate. Potential explanatory factors are related to the socioeconomic status and to the territorial...

Mental health impact of the economic crisis in Spain

2013

According to preliminary data, by 2010 the economic crisis in Spain had already led to an increase in the prevalence of anxiety, mood disorders and alcohol misuse, identified in primary care settings, but there had not been an impact on suicide rates. Since then, several indicators suggest that the full impact of the economic crisis on mental health was delayed, until at least the second half of 2011 and even later, to 2012. There is increasing evidence that budget cuts had a particular impact on mental healthcare during this latter period.

Is recession bad for your mental health? The answer could be complex: evidence from the 2008 crisis in Spain

BMC Medical Research Methodology, 2018

Background: We explored the impact of 2008 recession on the prevalence of mental health problems in Spain. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional survey design. Datasets from 2006 and 2011 were used, and temporal change was examined. The study was conducted on the economically active population (16-64 years old). The two surveys included 29,478 and 21,007 people, obtaining a 96 and 89.6% response rate, respectively. Multiple logistic regression models were adjusted to identify poor mental health risk factors. A standardisation analysis was performed to estimate the prevalence of people at risk of poor mental health (GHQ+). Results: The prevalence of GHQ+ following the crisis increased in men and decreased in women. Two logistic regression analyses identified GHQ+ risk factors. From 2006 to 2011, unemployment rose and income fell for both men and women, and there was a decline in the prevalence of somatic illness and limitations, factors associated with a higher prevalence of GHQ+. After controlling for age, the change in employment and income among men prompted an increase in the prevalence of GHQ+, while the change in somatic illness and limitations tended to mitigate this effect. After the recession, unemployed men showed a better level of somatic health. The same effects were not detected in women. Conclusions: The economic recession exerted a complex effect on mental health problems in men. The reduction of prevalence in women was not associated with changes in socioeconomic factors related to the economic crisis nor with changes in somatic health.

Socioeconomic Burden of Mental Disorders in Spain 2006-2017

SSRN Electronic Journal

Mental health is not only the lack of mental disorders but is considered a crucial resource for overall health and well-being (including employment and productivity). The current paper tries to shed some light on the evolution of mental well-being over a period of 15 years, including the years before, during and after the most recent economic downturn. We use data coming from the Spanish National Health Surveys of 2006/2007, 2011/2012 and 2016/2017. Mental health is proxied by two measures, doctor-diagnosed mental disorder and psychological distress (based on GHQ-12). To account for the causal relationship between the two mental health indicators, we estimate a bivariate probit model. We observe different patterns of the two mental health indicators over time. Psychological distress increased during recession years, due to major risk factors as unemployment and loss of socioeconomic status. Even though the need for mental healthcare increased during the recession, the fact that fewer people were diagnosed suggests that barriers to access to mental healthcare may be aggravated during the crisis.

Effects of the economic crisis and social support on health-related quality of life: first wave of a longitudinal study in Spain

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2015

Economic recession affects quality of life by increasing rates of mental disorders in particular. Social support can be an important protective factor. To estimate the impact of being personally affected by an economic crisis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), taking into account the possible buffering effect of perceived social support. Data from the first wave (March 2012 to November 2012) of the 'Social Support and Quality of Life Study', a longitudinal study carried out in a primary health care centre in a deprived neighbourhood of Barcelona, Spain. A total of 143 participants were assessed using the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey, the List of Threatening Experiences and the Duke Social Support scales. The effect of economic crisis on mental and physical HRQoL was assessed using ordinary least squares regression models to test the interaction between social support and having experienced an economic crisis. There was no statistical association between having su...

Inequalities in mental health in the working population of Spain: a National Health Survey-based study

Gaceta Sanitaria, 2016

Objective: In the working population, poor mental health is a significant problem whose prevalence rates and associated factors could differ by gender, especially in a period of socioeconomic changes. The aims of this study were: a) to determine the prevalence of poor mental health in the working population of Spain in 2011; b) to identify the association of this prevalence with socioeconomic and work-related variables for men and women separately; c) to determine if the patterns differ by gender. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from the National Health Survey of Spain (2011). Of the 21,007 participants in the survey, we selected 7396 whose employment status was described as "working" The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used as a screening tool to detect poor mental health. Prevalences were calculated and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to verify the association between variables. Results: The prevalence of poor mental health was higher among women (19.9%) than men (13.9%), the overall prevalence being 16.8%. The variables associated with a higher prevalence were type of contract and work-related variables in men, and age and socioeconomic variables in women. Conclusions: This study shows that, in the working population of Spain, the prevalence of poor mental health and its related factors differ by gender. Poor mental health is mainly related to socioeconomic variables in women but is mostly associated with work-related variables in men.

Changes in socioeconomic position among individuals with mental disorders during the economic recession in Portugal: a follow-up of the National Mental Health Survey

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 2018

AimsPortugal was one of the European countries most affected by the period of economic recession initiated in 2008. Social inequalities are likely to widen during such periods and disproportionately affect people with mental disorders. The present study aims to compare self-reported changes in indicators of socioeconomic position during the economic recession in Portugal among people with and without mental disorders in the beginning of this period. Three dimensions were assessed, namely employment situation, experiences of financial hardship and subjective social status.MethodsData from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative Portugal (2008/2009) and from the National Mental Health Survey Follow-up (2015/2016) were used (n = 911). Multinomial and logistic recession models were performed to examine the association between the presence of any 12-month mood or anxiety mental disorder in 2008/2009 and indicators of socioeconomic position in 2015/2016. All analyses were adjusted for g...