• Sing Lee, Adley Tsang, Yue-qin Huang, Ming-yuan Zhang, Zhao-rui Liu, Yan-ling He, Von KorffMichaelM, and Ronald C Kessler.
• Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. singlee@cuhk.edu.hk
• J Psychosom Res. 2007 Jul 1; 63 (1): 1-7.

BackgroundThis study estimates psychiatric and physical comorbidity among people reporting arthritis and related role impairment in metropolitan China.MethodsData were derived from a large-scale and representative household survey of adult respondents in Beijing and Shanghai. Arthritis and other chronic physical conditions were assessed by self-report. Mental disorders were assessed by the World Mental Health version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview.ResultsOf the respondents reporting arthritis in Beijing (8.6%) and Shanghai (15.3%), the vast majority (Beijing, 85.2%; Shanghai, 79.9%) also reported at least one other comorbid condition, including chronic pain (Beijing, 73.4%; Shanghai, 64.8%), chronic physical diseases (Beijing, 54.7%; Shanghai, 57.2%), and mental disorders (Beijing, 10.5%; Shanghai, 10.0%). Arthritis was significantly associated with role impairment, but the association disappeared after controlling for demographic variables and comorbidities.ConclusionsPhysical-mental comorbidity is common and has important clinical and public health implications in China. Reasons for regional differences in prevalence and pattern of comorbidity require further study.

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