Vets With Schizophrenia, Comorbid Anxiety Have Higher Rates of Other Mental Illness and Greater Service Utilization, Study Finds

Veterans with schizophrenia and a comorbid anxiety disorder have increased rates of other disorders, higher psychiatric and medical hospitalization, and increased utilization of outpatient mental health services, according to the study, “Service Utilization Among Veterans With Schizophrenia and a Comorbid Anxiety Disorder,” published in the APA journal Psychiatric Services in Advance.

Researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs' Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., examined diagnostic, utilization, and medication records included in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Psychosis Registry. Relationships between schizophrenia and anxiety disorders were evaluated along demographic and service utilization dimensions.

During Fiscal 2011, 23.8% of 87,006 VHA patients with schizophrenia were diagnosed with a comorbid anxiety disorder; 15.2% of the sample had a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and 8.6% a non-PTSD anxiety disorder. The researchers found that patients without a comorbid anxiety disorder had significantly lower rates of other comorbid mental disorders than did patients with comorbid anxiety disorders. Specifically, 20.6% of patients with no anxiety disorder had depression, compared with 47.7% of those with PTSD and 46.8% of those with non-PTSD anxiety disorders. Only 3.7% of patients with no anxiety disorder had a personality disorder, compared with 11.2% of those with PTSD and 10.8% of those with non-PTSD anxiety.

“Anxiety disorders are common among individuals with schizophrenia within the VHA and appeared in this study to convey additional disability in terms of psychiatric comorbidity and the need for increased psychiatric care,” the researchers pointed out. “Future research should investigate ways to improve detection and enhance treatment provided to this population.”

For more on care of veterans with psychiatric disorders, see the Psychiatric News articles, "APA Calls for Better Training to Treat Chronic Pain, Addiction Among Vets" and "Knowledge of Military Life Facilitates Vets' MH Care."

REMINDER: Today’s APA Twitter Chat with host Gabriela Cora, M.D., will be held from noon to 1 p.m. ET on the topic "Where Does #MentalHealth Meet the Pursuit of #Happiness?" To join, use the #hashtag #YourMH (stands for "Your Mental Health"). Be part of the conversation!

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