The least wealthy are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders later in life

A study published online in the journal Journal of Epidemiology & Public Health.

In addition, more than half of people with low levels of education by the age of 30 will be diagnosed with a mental disorder 22 years later, according to a study of people in Finland.

Previous studies have found a link between socioeconomic position and morbidity psychosisbut the importance of different measures of socioeconomic position is rarely compared.

A team of researchers from Finland analyzed official national data on more than 1.2 million people born between 1966 and 1986 who were living in Finland when they turned 30.

They began investigating the link between socioeconomic position at age 30 and the risk of the most common mental disorders later—substance abuse, schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders.

They used three registration-based measures for socioeconomic position, namely education level, employment status, and personal gross income, while taking into account common family characteristics that had an impact .

The study population was followed from 1996 to 2017, and just over a quarter (26.1%) of them (331,657) were diagnosed with a mental disorder during the study’s follow-up period.

The researchers’ analysis found that lower socioeconomic status at age 30 was often associated with a higher risk of later being diagnosed with a mental disorder, even after accounting for common characteristics. family history and previous history of psychosis.

Analysis of specific diagnoses revealed that the associations were significantly stronger when substance abuse or schizoaffective spectrum disorder was considered the outcome.

Compared to people who have gone to work, outside labor force or unemployment were both associated with a double risk of a later mental disorder diagnosis, they said.

They also found that, by age 52.58% of people with low levels of academic level at the age of 30 then diagnosed with the disease psychosiscompared with 45% and 36% of those who completed high school or University educationcorresponding.

This was an observational study, and as such, cause cannot be established.

Furthermore, the study had some limitations such as the fact that the registry that included long-term sick leave and primary care cases only started between 2005 and 2011, which means there is a possibility of disorder. psychosis in people with milder symptoms who received only treatment. by a GP before 2005 or who did not seek help from any type of health care service for their mental disorder, were not included.

Therefore, the information used on mental disorders before age 30 is an understatement of the potential prevalence of these conditions.

However, the researchers emphasized the fact that the study population used nationwide with full follow-up, sibling design, and both primary and secondary. primary care Psychiatric registry data is the strength of their study.

The researchers concluded: “These findings suggest that the burden of mental disorders is much greater in people with low morale. socioeconomic positionand policies that increase social mobility or allocate more preventive measures to people of low socioeconomic status can reduce the burden of disease due to mental disorders in society.”