The journal of mental health policy and economics
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Jun 2006
Multicenter StudyModeling costs and burden of informal caregiving for persons with bipolar disorder.
Informal caregiving contributes significantly to the health and well being of chronically ill persons. While a vast literature demonstrates this connection, the cost and financial burden of informal caregiving has received considerably less research attention, especially as it-pertains to bipolar disorder. ⋯ Caution is needed in estimating the costs of informal caregiving needs as many costs are possible but their relationship to burden varies in strength and significance. Assumptions related to what is given and received and how this relates to expected patterns of giving and receiving in measuring and determining financial burden and costs are particularly important, as is the valuation of time.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Jun 2006
Income and employment of people living with combined HIV/AIDS, chronic mental illness, and substance abuse disorders.
This paper examines the labor market outcomes of HIV triply-diagnosed adults having a combination of HIV, mental illness and substance abuse problems. ⋯ Future research should determine the marginal contribution of mental health conditions or substance abuse on income or labor market outcomes relative to individuals having only HIV/AIDS. This would allow policymakers to better understand how much of income and employment can be attributed to HIV/AIDS, mental health or substance abuse. Future work also should examine the impact of integrated treatment services on income and employment for this population.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Dec 2005
Labor market, financial, insurance and disability outcomes among near elderly Americans with depression and pain.
The economic burden of depression has been documented, but the role of comorbid conditions is unclear. Depression and comorbid pain are particularly common, are associated with worse clinical outcomes and require different care than "pure'' depression. Does this comorbidity account for a large share of the adverse social outcomes attributed to depression? ⋯ Further research should focus on causality of depression and comorbid pain on economic outcomes. Depression research should consider the heterogeneity of this disorder in outcomes assessment.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Sep 2005
Comparative StudyRacial disparities in prescription drug use for mental illness among population in US.
Racial minorities are a rapidly growing portion of the US population. Research suggests that racial minorities are more vulnerable to mental illness due to risk factors, such as higher rates of poverty. Given that the burden of mental illnesses is significant, equal likelihood of mental health services utilization is important to reduce such burden. Racial minorities have been known to use mental health services less than Whites. However, it is unclear whether racial disparity in prescription drug use for mental illnesses exists in a nationally representative sample. For a valid estimation of prescription drug use patterns, the characteristic in the distribution of prescription drug use should be accounted for in the estimation model. ⋯ Future research should examine the causes for racial disparity in the use of prescription drugs for mental illness both in the extensive and intensive margins. An in-depth analysis is needed to map out the attributes for the observed disparity between Whites and racial minorities in mental health service use.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Mar 2005
Health status and access to care for children with special health care needs.
About 11-14% of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have unmet needs during a given year. Little is known about the determinants of unmet health care needs for CSHCN. ⋯ Future research should determine the causal relationship between mental health problems of CSHCN and their caregivers and the level unmet health care needs.