ArticleBMC psychiatry2018
Mental and physical comorbidity in an Arab primary health care setting.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Generalised anxiety disorder and its determinants amongst patients with diabetes in primary healthcare clinics: a cross-sectional study in Kuwait City, 2024.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Somatic symptom and related disorders in the Arab world: a narrative review of clinical features and care implications.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- Examination of the psychometric properties of Arabic version of the Body Vigilance Scale.PloS one · 2025Article
- Examining the validity and reliability of the Arabic translated version of the depression and somatic symptoms scale (A-DSSS) among the Lebanese adults.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Article
- Dual burden of chronic physical conditions and mental disorders: Findings from the Saudi National Mental Health Survey.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Validation of the generalized anxiety disorder scales (GAD-7 and GAD-2) in primary care settings in Latvia.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with ischemic heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences · 2022Review
- Suicidality and Its Relation with Physical and Mental Conditions: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study of the Nationwide Primary Care Population Sample in Latvia.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Article
- Somatic symptom disorders and utilization of health services among Palestinian primary health care attendees: a cross-sectional study.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- Risk factors for severity of depression in participants with chronic medical conditions in rural primary health care settings in India.Journal of affective disorders reports · 2021Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of mental disorders in the nationwide primary care population in Latvia: a cross-sectional study.Annals of general psychiatry · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere are no published studies on the comorbidity of common mental conditions (anxiety, depression, and somatization) and physical illnesses in the Arab world. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of common mental conditions comorbid with physical illnesses among primary care attenders in Kuwait, and the sociodemographic characteristics associated with this comorbidity.
methodsThe Patient Health Questionnaires for somatization, anxiety and depression (PHQ-SAD) were administered to a representative sample of 1046 attenders (M: F = 429: 617; mean age 37.6, SD 12.7) seen in primary care clinics in Kuwait. Based on well-established cut-off scores, the presence and severity of three mental conditions -depression, anxiety, and somatization-was ascertained; physical diagnoses were ascertained by the attending physicians.
resultsOf 1046 respondents, 442 (42.3%) had at least one mental condition and 670 (64.1%) had a physical illness diagnosis, viz.: diabetes mellitus (248/670 = 37.0%), hypertension (229/670 = 34.2%), asthma (82/670 = 12.2%), non-chronic physical illnesses (63/670 = 9.4%), or heart disease (48/670 = 7.2%), with 34.4% (360/1046) having mental-physical comorbidity. Male: female ratio for the 670 subjects was 287: 383. The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for having a mental condition in those with a physical illness vs. those without a physical illness was 4.16 (95% C.I. = 3.12, 5.55). Comorbidity was associated with older age, being divorced or widowed, a lower level of education, and poorer living conditions. Regardless of the physical illness, the most frequent comorbid mental disorder was somatization. The prevalence and severity of mental conditions were associated with the number of physical illnesses.
conclusionAs has been reported in other parts of the world, somatization, anxiety, and depression are highly prevalent among primary care attenders in Kuwait and they are typically comorbid with physical illness. Strategies for their prevention and treatment need to take into consideration their association with physical illness and social disadvantage.
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