(Over)crowded house: exploring asylum seekers' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic while living at accommodation centers in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has made visible the scale of health disparities in society, highlighting how the distribution of infection and deaths differs between population subgroups within countries. Asylum seekers represent a potentially vulnerable group; early in the pandemic, concerns were raised about their housing situation, usually involving overcrowded, camp-like accommodations, and the effects of COVID-19 in relation to this. Hence, this study aimed to explore asylum seekers' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic while living at accommodation centers. METHODS: In this qualitative study, 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with asylum seekers at two accommodation centers in Sweden. Participants represented a diverse group of asylum seekers in regard to age, educational background, and gender. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Experiences related to COVID-19 were highly dependent on the living situation at the accommodation centers and the experience of feeling unsafe in shared spaces. This was enhanced by the experiences of a challenging mix of COVID-19 messages where different understandings of COVID-19 and related measures existed, together with a feeling of loss of control and safety in shared rooms. Additionally, participants felt more isolated from the outside society and missed prior social activities. Adding to this experience of isolation was an increasing mistrust regarding the authorities' pandemic response. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of understanding the specific challenges and vulnerabilities of asylum seekers at accommodation centers during the pandemic, shaped by their housing situation and legal status. The findings underscore the need for context-specific support, holistic disease prevention approaches, and tailored health communication strategies using diverse formats. Additionally, the findings emphasize the crucial need to identify and mobilize existing community resources in planning and implementing pandemic control measures. Furthermore, the study emphasizes governmental responsibility in providing secure housing, and to address long-term vulnerabilities beyond pandemics.

Suicide attempt and suicide in refugees in Sweden - a nationwide population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Despite a reported high rate of mental disorders in refugees, scientific knowledge on their risk of suicide attempt and suicide is scarce. We aimed to investigate (1) the risk of suicide attempt and suicide in refugees in Sweden, according to their country of birth, compared with Swedish-born individuals and (2) to what extent time period effects, socio-demographics, labour market marginalisation (LMM) and morbidity explain these associations. METHODS: Three cohorts comprising the entire population of Sweden, 16-64 years at 31 December 1999, 2004 and 2009 (around 5 million each, of which 3.3-5.0% refugees), were followed for 4 years each through register linkage. Additionally, the 2004 cohort was followed for 9 years, to allow analyses by refugees' country of birth. Crude and multivariate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. The multivariate models were adjusted for socio-demographic, LMM and morbidity factors. RESULTS: In multivariate analyses, HRs regarding suicide attempt and suicide in refugees, compared with Swedish-born, ranged from 0.38-1.25 and 0.16-1.20 according to country of birth, respectively. Results were either non-significant or showed lower risks for refugees. Exceptions were refugees from Iran (HR 1.25; 95% CI 1.14-1.41) for suicide attempt. The risk for suicide attempt in refugees compared with the Swedish-born diminished slightly across time periods. CONCLUSIONS: Refugees seem to be protected from suicide attempt and suicide relative to Swedish-born, which calls for more studies to disentangle underlying risk and protective factors.

Trajectories of antidepressant use before and after a suicide attempt among refugees and Swedish-born individuals: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To identify key information regarding potential treatment differences in refugees and the host population, we aimed to investigate patterns (trajectories) of antidepressant use during 3 years before and after a suicide attempt in refugees, compared with Swedish-born. Association of the identified trajectory groups with individual characteristics were also investigated. METHODS: All 20-64-years-old refugees and Swedish-born individuals having specialised healthcare for suicide attempt during 2009-2015 (n = 62,442, 5.6% refugees) were followed 3 years before and after the index attempt. Trajectories of annual defined daily doses (DDDs) of antidepressants were analysed using group-based trajectory models. Associations between the identified trajectory groups and different covariates were estimated by chi2-tests and multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the four identified trajectory groups, antidepressant use was constantly low (≤15 DDDs) for 64.9% of refugees. A 'low increasing' group comprised 5.9% of refugees (60-260 annual DDDs before and 510-685 DDDs after index attempt). Two other trajectory groups had constant use at medium (110-190 DDDs) and high (630-765 DDDs) levels (22.5 and 6.6% of refugees, respectively). Method of suicide attempt and any use of psychotropic drugs during the year before index attempt discriminated between refugees' trajectory groups. The patterns and composition of the trajectory groups and their association, discriminated with different covariates, were fairly similar among refugees and Swedish-born, with the exception of previous hypnotic and sedative drug use being more important in refugees. CONCLUSIONS: Despite previous reports on refugees being undertreated regarding psychiatric healthcare, no major differences in antidepressant treatment between refugees and Swedish-born suicide attempters were found.

Iranian and Iraqi torture survivors in Finland and Sweden: findings from two population-based studies.

BACKGROUND: Most refugees and other forced migrants have experienced potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Torture and other traumatic experiences, as well as various daily stressors, impact the mental health and psychosocial well-being of war-affected populations. METHODS: The study includes two population-based samples of Iranian and Iraqi men living in Finland and Sweden. The Finnish Migrant Health and Well-being Study (Maamu) was conducted in 2010-2012. The Linköping study was conducted in Sweden in 2005. In both samples, health and well-being measures, social and economic outcomes as well as health service utilization were reported. RESULTS: The final sample for analysis consisted of two groups of males of Iranian or Iraqi origin: 278 residents in Finland and 267 residents in Sweden. Both groups were subdivided according to the reported PTEs: Torture survivors; Other PTEs; No PTEs. Migrants that reported PTEs, torture survivors in particular, had significantly poorer social and health outcomes. Torture survivors also reported lower trust and confidence in authorities and public service providers, as well as more loneliness, social isolation and experiences of discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: Torture and other PTEs prevalent in refugee and migrant populations create a wide-ranging and long-term impact in terms of increased risk of various types of adverse social and health conditions. Early identification through systematic and effective screening should be the first step in guiding migrants and refugees suffering from experiences of torture and other PTEs to flexible, multidisciplinary services.

Healthcare use before and after suicide attempt in refugees and Swedish-born individuals.

PURPOSE: There is a lack of research on whether healthcare use before and after a suicide attempt differs between refugees and the host population. We aimed to investigate if the patterns of specialised (inpatient and specialised outpatient) psychiatric and somatic healthcare use, 3 years before and after a suicide attempt, differ between refugees and the Swedish-born individuals in Sweden. Additionally, we aimed to explore if specialised healthcare use differed among refugee suicide attempters according to their sex, age, education or receipt of disability pension. METHODS: All refugees and Swedish-born individuals, 20-64 years of age, treated for suicide attempt in specialised healthcare during 2004-2013 (n = 85,771 suicide attempters, of which 4.5% refugees) were followed 3 years before and after (Y - 3 to Y + 3) the index suicide attempt (t0) regarding their specialised healthcare use. Annual adjusted prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of specialised healthcare use were assessed by generalized estimating equations (GEE). Additionally, in analyses among the refugees, GEE models were stratified by sex, age, educational level and disability pension. RESULTS: Compared to Swedish-born, refugees had lower prevalence rates of psychiatric and somatic healthcare use during the observation period. During Y + 1, 25% (95% CI 23-28%) refugees and 30% (95% CI 29-30%) Swedish-born used inpatient psychiatric healthcare. Among refugees, a higher specialised healthcare use was observed in disability pension recipients than non-recipients. CONCLUSION: Refugees used less specialised healthcare, before and after a suicide attempt, relative to the Swedish-born. Strengthened cultural competence among healthcare professionals and better health literacy among the refugees may improve healthcare access in refugees.

Comparing costs of illness of multiple sclerosis in three different years: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about changes in the costs of illness (COI) among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during recent years. OBJECTIVES: To compare the COI among MS patients and matched controls in 2006, 2009, and 2012, respectively, indicating the costs attributable to the MS disease. METHODS: Three cross-sectional datasets were analyzed, including all MS patients in Sweden aged 20-60 years and five matched controls for each of them. The analyses were based on 10,531 MS patients and 52,655 matched controls for 2006, 11,722 and 58,610 individuals for 2009, and 12,789 and 63,945 for 2012. Nationwide registers, including prescription drug use, specialized healthcare, sick leave, and disability pension, were linked to estimate the prevalence-based COI. RESULTS: Adjusted for inflation, the average difference in COI between MS patients and matched controls were Swedish Krona (SEK) 243,751 (95% confidence interval: SEK 239,171-248,331) in 2006, SEK 238,971 (SEK 234,516-243,426) in 2009, and SEK 225,923 (SEK 221,630-230,218) in 2012. The difference in indirect costs were SEK 170,502 (SEK 166,478-174,525) in 2006, SEK 158,839 (SEK 154,953-162,726) in 2009, and SEK 141,280 (SEK 137,601-144,960) in 2012. CONCLUSION: The inflation-adjusted COI of MS patients was lower in 2012 than in 2006, in particular regarding indirect costs.

Sexual orientation differences in outpatient psychiatric treatment and antidepressant usage: evidence from a population-based study of siblings.

In the past two decades, population-based health surveys have begun including measures of sexual orientation, permitting estimates of sexual orientation disparities in psychiatric morbidity and differences in treatment utilization. The present study takes advantage of the high-quality, comprehensive nationwide health registry data available in Sweden to examine whether psychiatric outpatient treatment for various diagnoses and antidepressant medication usage are greater in sexual minority individuals compared to their siblings. A longitudinal cohort study design was used with a representative random population-based sample in Stockholm, Sweden. Registry-based health record data on all specialized outpatient health care visits and prescription drug use was linked to a sample of 1154 sexual minority individuals from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort and their siblings. The main outcomes were treatment due to psychiatric diagnoses retrieved from nationwide registry-based health records. In analyses accounting for dependency between siblings, gay men/lesbians had a greater likelihood of being treated for mood disorder [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.77; 99% confidence intervals (CI) 1.00, 3.16] and being prescribed antidepressants (AOR 1.51; 99% CI 1.10, 2.07) compared to their siblings. Further, bisexual individuals had a greater likelihood of any outpatient psychiatric treatment (AOR 1.69; 99% CI 1.17, 2.45) and being prescribed antidepressants (AOR 1.48; 99% CI 1.07, 2.05) as well as a greater likelihood of being treated for a mood disorder (AOR 1.98; 99% CI 1.33, 2.95) compared to their siblings. No difference in anxiety or substance use disorder treatment was found between any sexual minority subgroup and their siblings. The potential role of familial confounding in psychiatric disorder treatment was not supported for more than half of the outcomes that were examined. Results suggest that sexual minority individuals are significantly more likely to be treated for certain psychiatric disorders compared to their siblings. Future research is needed to understand mechanisms other than familial factors that might cause the substantial treatment differences based on sexual orientation reported here.

Trajectories of work disability and unemployment among young adults with common mental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Labour-market marginalisation (LMM) and common mental disorders (CMDs) are serious societal problems. The aims were to describe trajectories of LMM (both work disability and unemployment) among young adults with and without CMDs, and to elucidate the characteristics associated with these trajectories. METHODS: The study was based on Swedish registers and consisted of all individuals 19-30 years with an incident diagnosis of a CMD in year 2007 (n = 7245), and a matched comparison group of individuals without mental disorders during the years 2004-07 (n = 7245). Group-based trajectory models were used to describe patterns of LMM both before, and after the incident diagnosis of a CMD. Multinomial logistic regressions investigated the associations between sociodemographic and medical covariates and the identified trajectories. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent (n = 1859) of young adults with CMDs followed trajectories of increasing or constant high levels of work disability, and 32 % (n = 2302) followed trajectories of increasing or constant high unemployment. In the comparison group, just 9 % (n = 665) followed increasing or constant high levels of work disability and 21 % (n = 1528) followed trajectories of increasing or constant high levels of unemployment. A lower share of young adults with CMDs followed trajectories of constant low levels of work disability (n = 4546, 63%) or unemployment (n = 2745, 38%), compared to the level of constant low work disability (n = 6158, 85%) and unemployment (n = 3385, 50%) in the comparison group. Remaining trajectories were fluctuating or decreasing. Around 50% of young adults with CMDs had persistent levels of LMM at the end of follow-up. The multinomial logistic regression revealed that educational level and comorbid mental disorders discriminated trajectories of work disability, while educational level, living area and age determined differences in trajectories of unemployment (R2difference = 0.02-0.05, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A large share, nearly 50%, of young adults with CMDs, substantially higher than in the comparison group of individuals without mental disorders, display increasing or high persistent levels of either work disability or unemployment throughout the follow-up period. Low educational level, comorbidity with other mental disorders and living in rural areas were factors that increased the probability for LMM.

Labour-market marginalisation after mental disorders among young natives and immigrants living in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate the associations between mental disorders and three different measures of labour-market marginalisation, and differences between native Swedes and immigrants. METHODS: The study comprised 1,753,544 individuals, aged 20-35 years, and resident in Sweden 2004. They were followed 2005-2011 with regard to disability pension, sickness absence (≥90 days) and unemployment (≥180 days). Immigrants were born in Western countries (Nordic countries, EU, Europe outside EU or North-America/Oceania), or in non-Western countries (Africa, Asia or South-America). Mental disorders were grouped into seven subgroups based on a record of in- or specialised outpatient health care 2001-2004. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed by Cox regression models with both fixed and time-dependent covariates and competing risks. We also performed stratified analyses with regard to labour-market attachment. RESULTS: Individuals with mental disorders had a seven times higher risk of disability pension, a two times higher risk of sickness absence, and a 20% higher risk of unemployment than individuals without mental disorders. Individuals with personality disorders and schizophrenia/non-affective psychoses had highest risk estimates for having disability pension and long-term sickness absence, while the risk estimates of long-term unemployment were similar among all subgroups of mental disorders. Among persons with mental disorders, native Swedes had higher risk estimates for disability pension (HR:6.6; 95%CI:6.4-6.8) than Western immigrants (4.8; 4.4-5.2) and non-Western immigrants (4.8; 4.4-5.1), slightly higher risk estimates for sickness absence (2.1;2.1-2.2) than Western (1.9;1.8-2.1), and non-Western (1.9;1.7-2.0) immigrants but lower risk estimates for unemployment (1.4;1.3-1.4) than Western (1.8;1.7-1.9) and non-Western immigrants (2.0;1.9-2.1). There were similar risk estimates among sub-regions within both Western and non-Western countries. Stratification by labour-market attachment showed that the risk estimates for immigrants were lower the more distant individuals were from gainful employment. CONCLUSIONS: Mental disorders were associated with all three measures of labour-market marginalisation, strongest with subsequent disability pension. Native Swedes had higher risk estimates for both disability pension and sickness absence, but lower risk estimates for unemployment than immigrants. Previous labour-market attachment explained a great part of the association between immigrant status and subsequent labour-market marginalisation.

Discriminant validity of the 12-item version of the general health questionnaire in a Swedish case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is widely used as a proxy for Affective Disorders in public health surveys, although the cut-off points for distress vary considerably between studies. The agreement between the GHQ-12 score and having a clinical disorder in the study population is usually unknown. AIMS: This study aimed to assess the criterion validity and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the GHQ-12 in the Swedish population. METHODS: This study used 556 patient cases surveyed in specialized psychiatric care outpatient age- and sex-matched with 556 controls from the Stockholm Health Survey. Criterion validity for two scoring methods of GHQ-12 was tested using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses with Area Under the Curve (AUC) as a measure of agreement. Reference standard was (1) specialized psychiatric care and (2) current depression, anxiety or adjustment disorder. RESULTS: Both the Likert and Standard GHQ-12 scoring method discriminated excellently between individuals using specialized psychiatric services and healthy controls (Likert index AUC = 0.86, GHQ index AUC = 0.83), and between individuals with current disorder from healthy controls (Likert index AUC = 0.90, GHQ index AUC = 0.88). The best cut-off point for the GHQ index was ≥4 (sensitivity = 81.7 and specificity = 85.4), and for the Likert index ≥14 (sensitivity = 85.5 and specificity = 83.2). CONCLUSIONS: The GHQ-12 has excellent discriminant validity and is well suited as a non-specific measure of affective disorders in public mental health surveys.

The joint contribution of diabetes and work disability to premature death during working age: a population-based study in Sweden.

AIMS: We aimed to examine how newly diagnosed diabetes and work disability jointly predict death during working age. METHODS: We used prospective population-based register data of 25-59-year-old adults who had lived in Sweden since 2002. All those with onset of diabetes recorded in 2006 were included (n=14266). A 2% random sample (n=78598) was drawn from the general population, comprising people with no indication of diabetes during 2003-2010. Net days of sickness absence and disability pension in 2005-2006 were examined; the follow-up time for mortality was 2007-2010. Cox regression models were fitted (hazard ratios, HR, 95% confidence interval, CI) adjusting for sociodemographics and time-dependent health conditions. RESULTS: Individuals with diabetes and work disability for over 6 months were at a higher risk of premature death (HR=14.2, 95% CI 12.0-16.8) than their counterparts without diabetes and work disability. A high risk was also observed among people without diabetes but equally prolonged work disability (HR=6.4, 95% CI 5.4-7.6). Diabetes was associated with premature death even without work disability (HR=3.5, 95% CI 2.8-4.4). The associations were particularly attenuated after adjustment for health conditions assessed over the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: DIABETES AND WORK DISABILITY JOINTLY INCREASE THE RISK OF DEATH DURING WORKING AGE DIABETES WITH LONG-TERM WORK DISABILITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIGHEST RISK OF PREMATURE DEATH, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION.

Prescribed psychiatric medication among multiple sclerosis patients before and after disability pension: a register study with matched controls.

BACKGROUND: Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients of working ages have psychiatric comorbidity, and 60 % are on disability pension (DP). It is unknown how DP is associated with MS patients' mental health. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between prescriptions of psychiatric medication and time before and after receiving full-time DP in MS patients compared with matched controls. METHODS: Nationwide Swedish registers were used to identify 3836 MS patients who were granted DP in 2000-2012 and 19,180 DP controls matched on socio-demographic variables by propensity scores. Patients and controls were organized in groups by year granted DP. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for being prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines, or sleeping agents in 2006. RESULTS: Both patients and controls, who were not yet on DP in the study year of 2006, had lower OR compared with those who were granted DP in the same year. The OR increased when being closer to DP. MS patients, who had been granted DP 5-6 years earlier, had a higher risk for prescription of benzodiazepines (OR 1.72; 95 % CI 1.16-2.57) than controls (OR 1.14; 95 % CI 1.14-1.18). These patients also had a higher risk for SSRI prescription when compared directly with controls (OR 1.76; 95 % CI 1.44-2.15). CONCLUSIONS: MS patients have substantially higher odds ratios for being prescribed psychiatric drugs after DP than other disability pensioners. Further research on the association of DP with the mental health of MS patients is warranted.

Sources and level of income among individuals with multiple sclerosis compared to the general population: A nationwide population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with reduced work capacity, but there is limited knowledge about MS patients' sources of income. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to elucidate MS patients' earnings and social benefits compared to those of the general population. METHODS: From nationwide registers of all residents in Sweden aged 21-64 years in 2010 (n=5,291,764), those with an MS diagnosis (n=13,979) were compared to a propensity score matched reference group (n=69,895). Descriptive statistics and regression models were used to estimate the percentage difference between the MS patients and the matched references regarding the following annual incomes: earnings, disability pension, sickness absence, disability allowance, unemployment compensation and social assistance. RESULTS: Both MS patients and the matched references received most of their income from earnings followed by disability pension and sickness absence. MS patients that were diagnosed in 2010 had 15% lower earnings than the matched references, while MS patients diagnosed before 2005 had 38% lower earnings. Corresponding figures regarding summed social benefits were 33% and 130% higher for MS patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that MS patients are overrepresented, in relative and absolute terms, regarding health-related benefits and have lower levels of earnings. However, the redistributing welfare systems appear to financially compensate the MS patients considerably.

Work disability before and after diabetes diagnosis: a nationwide population-based register study in Sweden.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the risk of work disability (sick leave and disability pension) before and after diabetes diagnosis relative to individuals without diabetes during the same time period, as well as the trajectory of work disability around the diagnosis. METHODS: This Swedish population-based cohort study with register data included 14 428 individuals with incident diabetes in 2006 and 39 702 individuals without diabetes during 2003 to 2009. RESULTS: Work disability was substantially higher among people with diabetes (overall mean = 95 days per year over the 7 years, SD = 143) than among those without diabetes (mean = 35 days, SD = 95). The risk of work disability was slightly higher after diabetes diagnosis than before and compared with the risk of those without diabetes. The trajectory of work disability was already increasing before diagnosis, increased even more at the time of diagnosis, and leveled off after diagnosis. Individual sociodemographic characteristics and comorbid conditions contributed both to the risk and to the trajectory of work disability. CONCLUSIONS: Although diabetes has an independent effect on work disability, sex, age, education, and comorbid conditions play a significant role.

Is disability pension a risk indicator for future need of psychiatric healthcare or suicidal behavior among MS patients- a nationwide register study in Sweden?

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders and suicidal behavior are common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), they also carry a higher risk of disability pension (DP). Our aim was to investigate if DP and other factors are associated with psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior among MS patients, and whether DP is a stronger risk indicator among certain groups. METHOD: A prospective population-based cohort study with six-year follow-up (2005-2010), including 11 346 MS patients who in 2004 were aged 16-64 and lived in Sweden. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: MS patients on DP had a modestly higher risk of requiring psychiatric healthcare, IRR: 1.36 (95 % CI: 1.18-1.58). MS patients with previous psychiatric healthcare had a higher IRR for both psychiatric healthcare and suicidal behavior; 2.32 (2.18-2.47) and 1.91 (1.59-2.30), respectively. DP moderated the association between sex and psychiatric healthcare, where women on DP displayed higher risk than men, X(2) 4.74 (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that losing one's role in work life aggravates rather than alleviates the burden of MS, as MS patients on DP seem to have a higher need for psychiatric healthcare, especially among women; which calls for extra awareness among clinicians.

Change in paternal grandmothers' early food supply influenced cardiovascular mortality of the female grandchildren.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated whether large fluctuations in food availability during grandparents' early development influenced grandchildren's cardiovascular mortality. We reported earlier that changes in availability of food - from good to poor or from poor to good - during intrauterine development was followed by a double risk of sudden death as an adult, and that mortality rate can be associated with ancestors' childhood availability of food. We have now studied transgenerational responses (TGR) to sharp differences of harvest between two consecutive years' for ancestors of 317 people in Överkalix, Sweden. RESULTS: The confidence intervals were very wide but we found a striking TGR. There was no response in cardiovascular mortality in the grandchild from sharp changes of early exposure, experienced by three of the four grandparents (maternal grandparents and paternal grandfathers). If, however, the paternal grandmother up to puberty lived through a sharp change in food supply from one year to next, her sons' daughters had an excess risk for cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.69, 95% confidence interval 1.05-6.92). Selection or learning and imitation are unlikely explanations. X-linked epigenetic inheritance via spermatozoa seemed to be plausible, with the transmission, limited to being through the father, possibly explained by the sex differences in meiosis. CONCLUSION: The shock of change in food availability seems to give specific transgenerational responses.

Co-morbidities increase the risk of disability pension among MS patients: a population-based nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and often disabling disease. In 2005, 62% of the MS patients in Sweden aged 16-65 years were on disability pension. The objective of this study is to investigate whether the presence of common co-morbidities increase MS patients' risk for disability pension. METHODS: This population-based cohort study included 4 519 MS patients and 4 972 174 non-MS patients who in 2005 were aged 17-64 years, lived in Sweden, and were not on disability pension. Patients with MS were identified in the nationwide in- and outpatient registers, while four different registers were used to construct three sets of measures of musculoskeletal, mental, and cardiovascular disorders. Time-dependent proportional hazard models with a five-year follow up were performed, adjusting for socio-demographic factors. RESULTS: All studied disorders were elevated among MS patients, regardless of type of measure used. MS patients with mental disorders had a higher risk for disability pension than MS patients with no such co-morbidities. Moreover, mental disorders had a synergistic influence on MS patients' risk for disability pension. These findings were also confirmed when conducting sensitivity analyses. Musculoskeletal disorders appeared to increase MS patients' risk for disability pension. The results with regard to musculoskeletal disorders' synergistic influence on disability pension were however inconclusive. Cardiovascular co-morbidity had no significant influence on MS-patients' risk for disability pension. CONCLUSIONS: Co-morbidities, especially mental disorders, significantly contribute to MS patients' risk of disability pension, a finding of relevance for MS management and treatment.

Horizontal inequality in rationing by waiting lists.

The objective of this article was to investigate the existence of horizontal inequality in access to care for six categories of elective surgery in a publicly funded system, when care is rationed through waiting lists. Administrative waiting time data on all elective surgeries (n = 4,634) performed in Ostergötland, Sweden, in 2007 were linked to national registers containing variables on socioeconomic indicators. Using multiple regression, we tested five hypotheses reflecting that more resourceful groups receive priority when rationing by waiting lists. Low disposable household income predicted longer waiting times for orthopedic surgery (27%, p < 0.01) and general surgery (34%, p < 0.05). However, no significant differences on the basis of ethnicity and gender were detected. A particularly noteworthy finding was that disposable household income appeared to be an increasingly influential factor when the waiting times were longer. Our findings reveal horizontal inequalities in access to elective surgeries, but only to a limited extent. Whether this is good or bad depends on one's moral inclination. From a policymaker's perspective, it is nevertheless important to recognize that horizontal inequalities arise even though care is not rationed through ability to pay.

High prevalence of sickness absence and disability pension among multiple sclerosis patients: a nationwide population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: Although multiple sclerosis (MS) often implies substantial disability, there is little knowledge about sick leave and disability pension among MS patients. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence rates of sick leave and disability pension among MS patients and to explore how socio-demographics are associated with such rates. METHODS: The register data of all people who lived in Sweden in 2005 and were 16-64 years old was used to identify 9721 MS patients and matched controls. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and effect modifications were evaluated with Wald X(2) tests. RESULTS: In 2005, 61.7% of the MS patients were on partial or full disability pension compared to 14.2% among the controls. Of the others, 36.8% had ≥ 1 sick-leave spell for >14 days during that year. Socio-demographics were similarly associated with sick leave and disability pension among MS patients and controls, with the noteworthy exceptions that female gender and immigration status were less potent risk factors in the MS population (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In spite of widespread access to modern health care including disease-modifying drugs, the majority of MS patients of working ages were on a disability pension. Strategies enabling MS patients to retain their footing in the labour market are needed.

Excess costs of multiple sclerosis: a register-based study in Sweden.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Population-based estimates of the socioeconomic burden of multiple sclerosis (MS) are limited, especially regarding primary healthcare. This study aimed to estimate the excess costs of people with MS that could be attributed to their MS, including primary healthcare. METHODS: An observational study was conducted of the 2806 working-aged people with MS in Stockholm, Sweden and 28,060 propensity score matched references without MS. Register-based resource use was quantified for 2018. Annual healthcare costs (primary, specialised outpatient, and inpatient healthcare visits along with prescribed drugs) and productivity losses (operationalised by sickness absence and disability pension days) were quantified using bottom-up costing. The costs of people with MS were compared with those of the references using independent t-tests with bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to isolate the excess costs of MS from the mean difference. RESULTS: The mean annual excess costs of MS for healthcare were €7381 (95% CI 6991-7816) per person with MS with disease-modifying therapies as the largest component (€4262, 95% CI 4026-4497). There was a mean annual excess cost for primary healthcare of €695 (95% CI 585-832) per person with MS, comprising 9.4% of the excess healthcare costs of MS. The mean annual excess costs of MS for productivity losses were €13,173 (95% CI 12,325-14,019) per person with MS, predominately from disability pension (79.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The socioeconomic burden of MS in Sweden from healthcare consumption and productivity losses was quantified, updating knowledge on the cost structure of the substantial excess costs of MS.