The Effects of Psychological Distress and Its Interaction with Socioeconomic Position on Risk of Developing Four Chronic Diseases

Overview

Journal J Psychosom Res

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2018 Apr 23

PMID 29680578

Citations 39

Authors

Kyle J J McLachlan

Catharine R Gale

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between psychological distress and risk of developing arthritis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes across the range of distress severity, investigate the mediating roles of health behaviours and explore whether the associations vary with socioeconomic position.

Methods: Participants were 16,485 adults from the UK Household Longitudinal Study We examined prospective relationships between psychological distress at baseline (measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire) and incidence of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes (measured using self-report) over 3 years using logistic regression. We then examined the mediating effects of health behaviours and investigated whether the associations varied with socioeconomic position.

Results: Distress significantly increased risk of incident arthritis, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a dose-response pattern after controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic position, neighbourhood cohesion, marital status, BMI and baseline disease. High levels of distress (GHQ ≥ 7) increased risk of arthritis (OR 2.22; 1.58-2.13), cardiovascular disease (OR 3.06; 1.89-4.98) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 3.25; 1.47-7.18). These associations were partially mediated by smoking status but remained significant after controlling for smoking status, diet and exercise. Distress significantly predicted incident diabetes in manual socioeconomic groups only. Effect sizes did not vary with socioeconomic position for arthritis, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Conclusion: Psychological distress increases risk of incident arthritis, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a dose-response pattern, even at low and moderate distress levels. Future research should investigate the mediating role of inflammatory biomarkers.

Citing Articles

Intergenerational support, activities of daily living, and the interaction on psychological distress in older adults.

Zheng J, Xu J, Wu Y, Xu S, Gao Y Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1454662.

PMID: 39703877 PMC: 11655216. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1454662.

Effect of psychological distress on oral health: a cross-sectional study.

Asiri A, Nazir M, Alsharief M, Shahin S, Al-Ansari A, Al-Khalifa K BMC Oral Health. 2024; 24(1):1508.

PMID: 39702206 PMC: 11660662. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-05319-x.

Industry of employment and occupational class in relation to cardiovascular health by race/ethnicity, sex/gender, age and income among adults in the USA: a cross-sectional study.

Murkey J, Gaston S, Alhasan D, Jackson 2nd W, Jackson C BMJ Public Health. 2024; 2(1).

PMID: 39640959 PMC: 11618863. DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2023-000726.

SARS-CoV-2 induced vitamin D deficiency and psychological stress: a manifestation of autoimmune disease onset.

Alobaid M, Alqabandi B Front Immunol. 2024; 15:1434486.

PMID: 39416791 PMC: 11479920. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1434486.

Psychological Distress Among Ethnically Diverse Participants From Eastern and Southern Africa.

Tindi K, Kalungi A, Kinyanda E, Gelaye B, Martin A, Galiwango R JAMA Netw Open. 2024; 7(10):e2438304.

PMID: 39382897 PMC: 11581619. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.38304.

References

Takahashi T, Ichinose M, Inoue H, Shirato K, Hattori T, Takishima T . Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of COPD in primary care settings. Respirology. 2003; 8(4):504-8. DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1843.2003.00501.x. View

Roest A, Martens E, de Jonge P, Denollet J . Anxiety and risk of incident coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010; 56(1):38-46. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2010.03.034. View

Pembroke T, Rasul F, Hart C, Davey Smith G, Stansfeld S . Psychological distress and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Renfrew and Paisley (MIDSPAN) study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006; 60(9):789-92. PMC: 2566028. DOI: 10.1136/jech.2005.042150. View

Rasul F, Stansfeld S, Hart C, Davey Smith G . Psychological distress, physical illness, and risk of coronary heart disease. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2005; 59(2):140-5. PMC: 1732997. DOI: 10.1136/jech.2004.019786. View

Nicholson A, Kuper H, Hemingway H . Depression as an aetiologic and prognostic factor in coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of 6362 events among 146 538 participants in 54 observational studies. Eur Heart J. 2006; 27(23):2763-74. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehl338. View

Lazzarino A, Hamer M, Stamatakis E, Steptoe A . Low socioeconomic status and psychological distress as synergistic predictors of mortality from stroke and coronary heart disease. Psychosom Med. 2013; 75(3):311-6. PMC: 4196790. DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182898e6d. View

Klebanoff M, Cole S . Use of multiple imputation in the epidemiologic literature. Am J Epidemiol. 2008; 168(4):355-7. PMC: 2561989. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwn071. View

Sargent-Cox K, Cherbuin N, Morris L, Butterworth P, Anstey K . The effect of health behavior change on self-rated health across the adult life course: a longitudinal cohort study. Prev Med. 2013; 58:75-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.10.017. View

Chida Y, Hamer M, Wardle J, Steptoe A . Do stress-related psychosocial factors contribute to cancer incidence and survival?. Nat Clin Pract Oncol. 2008; 5(8):466-75. DOI: 10.1038/ncponc1134. View

10.

Russ T, Kivimaki M, Morling J, Starr J, Stamatakis E, Batty G . Association Between Psychological Distress and Liver Disease Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Individual Study Participants. Gastroenterology. 2015; 148(5):958-966.e4. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.02.004. View

11.

Roberts R, Kaplan G, Camacho T . Psychological distress and mortality: evidence from the Alameda County Study. Soc Sci Med. 1990; 31(5):527-36. DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(90)90087-9. View

12.

Scott K, Von Korff M, Angermeyer M, Benjet C, Bruffaerts R, de Girolamo G . Association of childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders with adult-onset chronic physical conditions. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011; 68(8):838-44. PMC: 3402030. DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.77. View

13.

Batty G, Russ T, Stamatakis E, Kivimaki M . Psychological distress in relation to site specific cancer mortality: pooling of unpublished data from 16 prospective cohort studies. BMJ. 2017; 356:j108. PMC: 5266623. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.j108. View

14.

Steptoe A, Kivimaki M . Stress and cardiovascular disease. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2012; 9(6):360-70. DOI: 10.1038/nrcardio.2012.45. View

15.

Hamer M, Molloy G, Stamatakis E . Psychological distress as a risk factor for cardiovascular events: pathophysiological and behavioral mechanisms. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008; 52(25):2156-62. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2008.08.057. View

16.

March L, Schwarz J, Carfrae B, Bagge E . Clinical validation of self-reported osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 1998; 6(2):87-93. DOI: 10.1053/joca.1997.0098. View

17.

van Schayck C, Loozen J, Wagena E, Akkermans R, Wesseling G . Detecting patients at a high risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in general practice: cross sectional case finding study. BMJ. 2002; 324(7350):1370. PMC: 115215. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.324.7350.1370. View

18.

Lochner K, Kawachi I, Kennedy B . Social capital: a guide to its measurement. Health Place. 2000; 5(4):259-70. DOI: 10.1016/s1353-8292(99)00016-7. View

19.

Hemingway H, Marmot M . Evidence based cardiology: psychosocial factors in the aetiology and prognosis of coronary heart disease. Systematic review of prospective cohort studies. BMJ. 1999; 318(7196):1460-7. PMC: 1115843. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.318.7196.1460. View

20.

Hankins M . The factor structure of the twelve item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): the result of negative phrasing?. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2008; 4:10. PMC: 2373289. DOI: 10.1186/1745-0179-4-10. View