Meta-analysis on quality of life and health care costs in patients with somatic diseases and comorbid mental disorders
Principle Investigator: Harald Baumeister
Research associate: Nico Hutter
Research assistants: Anne Styp von Rekowski
Funding: Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg
Duration: 01.04.2006 – 31.03.2008
Somatically ill patients with comorbid mental disorders exhibit low quality of life, high health care costs, as well as high morbidity and mortality. There have been meta-analyses on morbidity and mortality quantifying this association. With regard to quality of life and health care costs - two important indicators in health policy - systematic reviews are missing. Furthermore, comparisons of quality of life and health care outcomes between different diagnostic groups have not yet been conducted, although this issue plays a decisive role in the allocation of health care services.
The objective of the present study is to quantify the association between comorbid mental disorders and quality of life and health care costs in somatically ill patients. Relevant musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, oncological, pneumological and endocrinological diseases as well as the most prevalent mental disorders (affective disorder, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, alcohol-related disorder, eating disorder and personality disorders) will be considered and compared.
The analyses comprise the following steps:
1. Systematic search and assessment of the empirical primary studies; 2. Data extraction and assessment of methodological quality; 3. Data synthesis and analysis using meta-analytical procedures.
For the first time, systematically aggregated results concerning the association between comorbid mental disorders and quality of life and health care costs in somatically ill patients will be available. Analyses of data of different somatic-psychiatric combinations of diseases will provide estimates for a need based optimisation of health care.