Associations of serious mental illness with earnings: results from the WHO World Mental Health surveys.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Burden-of-illness data, which are often used in setting healthcare policy-spending priorities, are unavailable for mental disorders in most countries.

Aims

To examine one central aspect of illness burden, the association of serious mental illness with earnings, in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys.

Method

The WMH Surveys were carried out in 10 high-income and 9 low- and middle-income countries. The associations of personal earnings with serious mental illness were estimated.

Results

Respondents with serious mental illness earned on average a third less than median earnings, with no significant between-country differences (chi(2)(9) = 5.5-8.1, P = 0.52-0.79). These losses are equivalent to 0.3-0.8% of total national

SUBMITTER: Levinson D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2913273 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature