Abstract
Objectives: Patients with somatic diseases frequently suffer from comorbid mental disorders. The impact of comorbid mental disorders in somatically ill patients on morbidity, mortality, costs and quality of life is often reported. The present review summarizes and discusses main findings of this area of research.
Methods: A Medline search was conducted until 2004. Cross-references of the included studies were analysed.
Results: The review includes 94 studies; 52 studies focused on morbidity and mortality as outcome, 20 studies on costs and 28 studies on quality of life. The reviewed studies are quite heterogeneous concerning both methodology and results. However, overall the review shows that there is a meaningful deterioration of morbidity, mortality, costs and quality of life in somatically ill patients with comorbid mental disorders in comparison with corresponding patients without comorbid mental disorders.
Conclusion: The review underlines the need for an increased attention for those somatically ill patients showing comorbid mental disorders. Moreover, future research tasks will be to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of treatment strategies of mental disorders in somatically ill patients concerning the reviewed outcome parameters.
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