Patterns of care and dropout rates from outpatient mental healthcare in low-, middleand high-income countries from the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey Initiative

Background:There is a substantial proportion of patients who drop out of treatment beforethey receive minimally adequate care. They tend to have worse health outcomes than thosewho complete treatment. Our main goal is to describe the frequency and determinants ofdropout from treatment for mental dis...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernández Martínez, Daniel|||0000-0003-0012-2094, Vigo, Daniel, Hwang, Irving, Aguilar Gaxiola, Sergio, Al-Hamzawi, Ali O.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/327873
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/327873
https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720000884
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Mental health
Dropout
Survival analysis
WMH surveys
Salut mental
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Ciències de la salut::Salut mental
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Estadística aplicada::Estadística biosanitària
Descripción
Sumario:Background:There is a substantial proportion of patients who drop out of treatment beforethey receive minimally adequate care. They tend to have worse health outcomes than thosewho complete treatment. Our main goal is to describe the frequency and determinants ofdropout from treatment for mental disorders in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.Methods: Respondents from 13 low- or middle-income countries (N= 60 224) and 15 in high-income countries (N= 77 303) were screened for mental and substance use disorders. Cross-tabulations were used to examine the distribution of treatment and dropout rates for thosewho screened positive. The timing of dropout was examined using Kaplan–Meier curves. Predictors of dropout were examined with survival analysis using a logistic link function. Results: Dropout rates are high, both in high-income (30%) and low/middle-income (45%)countries. Dropout mostly occurs during the first two visits. It is higher in general medicalrather than in specialist settings (nearly 60%v.20% in lower income settings). It is also higherfor mild and moderate than for severe presentations. The lack of financial protection for men-tal health services is associated with overall increased dropout from care.Conclusions:Extending financial protection and coverage for mental disorders may reducedropout. Efficiency can be improved by managing the milder clinical presentations at theentry point to the mental health system, providing adequate training, support and specialistsupervision for non-specialists, and streamlining referral to psychiatrists for more severe cases