PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rai, Dheeraj
AU  - Kosidou, Kyriaki
AU  - Lundberg, Michael
AU  - Araya, Ricardo
AU  - Lewis, Glyn
AU  - Magnusson, Cecilia
TI  - Psychological distress and risk of long-term disability: population-based longitudinal study
AID  - 10.1136/jech.2010.119644
DP  - 2012 Jul 01
TA  - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
PG  - 586--592
VI  - 66
IP  - 7
4099  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/66/7/586.short
4100  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/66/7/586.full
SO  - J Epidemiol Community Health2012 Jul 01; 66
AB  - Background Common mental disorders are known to cause long-term disability, although not much is known about long-term consequences of milder forms of psychological distress.Objective To investigate the association between increasing levels of psychological distress and 5-year risk of long-term disability pensions awarded for somatic or psychiatric conditions.Methods In this longitudinal population-based study, a cohort of 17 205 individuals, aged 18–64 years, recruited in 2002 in Stockholm County was prospectively followed up for new disability pension awards. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to measure baseline psychological distress, and participants were categorised as having no, mild, moderate or severe psychological distress (GHQ-12 scores of 0; 1–2; 3–7 and 8–12, respectively). Details of new disability pension awards were obtained through record linkage with the Swedish National Insurance register. Comprehensive information on a range of sociodemographic, lifestyle and health characteristics was available.Results Increasing levels of psychological distress at baseline were associated with an increased likelihood of obtaining a disability pension later in life. Even mild psychological distress was independently associated with the award of a disability pension for both somatic (HR=1.7; 95% CI 1.3 to 2.2) and psychiatric diagnoses (2.2; 1.4 to 3.6). Over a quarter of disability pensions awarded for a somatic diagnosis, and almost two-thirds awarded for a psychiatric diagnosis, could be attributed to psychological distress.Conclusions Mild psychological distress may be associated with more long-term disability than previously acknowledged and its public health importance may be underestimated.