(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.

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.

Living a frozen life: a qualitative study on asylum seekers' experiences and care practices at accommodation centers in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Forced migrants fleeing conflict and violence face a high risk of mental health problems due to experiences before displacement, perilous journeys, and conditions in the new host societies. Asylum seekers seem to be in particularly vulnerable situations, indicated by higher prevalence rates of mental health problems compared to resettled refugees. Asylum seekers' mental health is highly influenced by the conditions they face in host countries while awaiting a decision on their case. In Sweden, 40% of asylum seekers reside in state-provided accommodation centers during the asylum process. Collective accommodation centers for asylum seekers have been said to impose restrictive social conditions and to be associated with poorer mental health outcomes than other housing forms (e.g., self-organized housing). However, there seems to be a scarcity of qualitative studies exploring the experiences of asylum seekers in different contexts. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the experiences of asylum seekers and how they manage their mental wellbeing while living at accommodation centers in Sweden. METHODS: Fourteen semi-structured interviews with asylum seekers were conducted at two accommodation centers in Sweden. Participants were recruited using purposeful sampling and represented a diverse group of asylum seekers regarding age, background, and gender. The data was analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Three overarching categories were identified; 1) Frozen life, 2) Constant worrying and "overthinking", and 3) Distractions and peer support. Participants experienced a state of being that could be characterized as a frozen life, which was associated with intense feelings of psychological distress, mostly described as manifesting itself in consuming patterns of ruminative thoughts, for instance overthinking and constant worrying. However, despite high levels of distress, participants demonstrated agency in managing negative mental health outcomes through self-care practices, peer support, and the development of care practices in caring for others in need. CONCLUSION: This study offers new insights into the everyday challenges that asylum seekers at accommodation centers face. Furthermore, it offers valuable observations of how asylum seekers at accommodation centers cope through self-care practices, peer support, and care practices in caring for peers in need. In order to enable sustainable and empowering support, mental health and psychosocial support services must identify and address both challenges and strengths, be grounded in the lived reality of asylum seekers, and build on existing resources. Moreover, further policy work needs to be done to enable faster asylum processes.

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.

Cost-of-Illness Progression Before and After Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis: A Nationwide Register-Based Cohort Study in Sweden of People Newly Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and a Population-Based Matched Reference Group.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease associated with increased healthcare utilisation and productivity losses. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the progression of healthcare costs and productivity losses before and after diagnosis of MS in comparison to that of a population-based matched reference group. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide, Swedish register-based cohort study of working-aged people with MS diagnosed in 2010-12 (n = 1988) and population-based matched references without MS (n = 7981). Nine years of observation spanned from 4 years prior (Y-4) to 4 years (Y+4) after the year of diagnosis (Y0). Differences in annual all-cause healthcare costs (inpatient and specialised outpatient healthcare as well as pharmacy-dispensed prescribed drugs) and costs of productivity loss (days with sickness absence and disability pension) were estimated between the people with MS and references using t tests with 95% confidence intervals. The average excess costs of MS were estimated using generalised estimating equation models. RESULTS: People with multiple sclerosis had higher costs before the diagnosis of MS and also thereafter. The mean differences in healthcare costs and productivity losses between the people with MS and matched references in Y-4 were 216 EUR (95% confidence interval 58-374) and 1540 EUR (95% confidence interval 848-2233), with larger cost excesses observed in later study years. Summarising the 9 study years, people with MS had fivefold higher excess healthcare costs than references, and more than twice as high productivity losses. CONCLUSIONS: Excess healthcare costs and productivity losses occur already before the diagnosis of MS and increase with time. The excess costs findings before diagnosis could suggest that an earlier diagnosis might lead to reduced excess costs of MS over time.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that can affect many parts of everyday life, including work. We studied the extra costs related to MS. Extra costs were defined as the difference in costs between people with MS and the general population in Sweden. To do this, we compared the costs of working-aged individuals with MS from 4 years before to 4 years after the year of MS diagnosis with those of individuals without MS. For each year, we measured the healthcare consumption and days absent owing to sickness absence or a disability pension. We found that people with MS had larger costs already before the diagnosis of MS. For all types of costs we studied, there were extra costs. The extra costs became larger with time and had a steep increase around the year of MS diagnosis. When we summarised the costs from all 9 years, people with MS had five times higher annual costs related to healthcare consumption than those without MS. There were also twice as high costs for lost production from days absent with sickness absence or a disability pension. While our data from national registers had objective measurements of the included costs, it did not include information on the costs for drugs administered in healthcare, rehabilitation or informal care from family members. We studied the costs of all people diagnosed with MS in 2010­12 in Sweden, related their disease trajectory with their costs, as well as compared their costs with the costs of a group from the general population. Our results of the extra costs of MS prior to diagnosis could suggest an unmet need. Earlier diagnosis and quickly starting treatment may lead to lower extra costs of MS over time.

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.

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.

Types of working-life sequences among people recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Sweden: a nationwide register-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore sequences of annual states of activity and sickness absence (SA) or disability pension (DP) (SA/DP) among working-aged people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) as well as characteristics associated with the identified types of working-life sequences. DESIGN: Nationwide Swedish register-based cohort study from 1 year prior to 5 years after the year of multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. SETTING: Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: PwMS diagnosed in 2008-2011 when aged 20-55 (n=2652, 69.9% women). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Individual-level sequences spanning 7 years were constructed with annual states regarding activity (income from paid work, student allowances, parental leave or unemployment compensation) and/or SA/DP. Types of working-life sequences were identified among the individuals' sequences using hierarchical cluster analysis with optimal matching dissimilarity measures. RESULTS: Six types of working-life sequences were identified. The largest cluster, Stable High Activity, represented 48.4% of the cohort. Other types were: Stable High SA/DP (14.5%); Other (4.5%); and three types with mixed activity and varying SA/DP regarding the number of days/year and timing (32.6%). Characteristics of the different identified types of sequences were subsequently investigated. All types of sequences had lower odds for university education (OR range: 0.18-0.72) compared with Stable High Activity. Increasingly higher odds of having anxiety/depression compared with Stable High Activity were observed across the types of sequences, by increasing proportions of SA/DP. Stable High SA/DP sequences were less likely than Stable High Activity to be prescribed MS drugs in the MS diagnosis year (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.78). All types of sequences had higher disposable income in the final study year than the first, except for Stable High SA/DP sequences (Swedish Krona 4669, 95% CI -1892 to 11 230). CONCLUSIONS: Diversity in working life was influenced by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics resulting in different activity and SA/DP patterns across the six identified types of working-life sequences.

The refugee post-migration stress scale (RPMS) - development and validation among refugees from Syria recently resettled in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing recognition of the impact of post-resettlement factors on the mental health of refugees, a clear definition of the concept of post-migration stress, as well as an updated, valid instrument for assessing the construct, are still lacking. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate the Refugee Post-Migration Stress Scale (RPMS), a concise, multi-dimensional instrument for assessing post-migration stress among refugees. RESULTS: Based on a review of previous research and observations from a refugee trauma clinic, a preliminary 24-item instrument was developed, covering seven hypothesized domains of post-migration stress: perceived discrimination, lack of host country specific competences, material and economic strain, loss of home country, family and home country concerns, social strain, and family conflicts.In the context of a population-based survey of mental health among refugees from Syria recently resettled in Sweden (n = 1215), the factorial structure of the RPMS was investigated. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed slightly insufficient fit for the initial theorized multi-domain model. Exploratory Factor Analysis in four iterations resulted in the omission of three items and an adequate fit of a 7-factor model, corresponding to the seven hypothesized domains of post-migration stress. To assess concurrent validity, correlational analyses with measures of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mental wellbeing were carried out. All domains of post-migration stress showed significant correlations with anxiety, depression, and PTSD scores, and significant negative correlations with mental wellbeing scores. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed RPMS appears to be a valid instrument for assessing refugee post-migration stress. Our findings that post-migration stress primarily relating to social and economic factors seems to be associated with mental ill health among refugees is in line with previous research.

Earnings among people with multiple sclerosis compared to references, in total and by educational level and type of occupation: a population-based cohort study at different points in time.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate earnings among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) before and after MS diagnosis compared with people without MS, and if identified differences were associated with educational levels and types of occupations. Furthermore, to assess the proportions on sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP) in both groups. DESIGN: Population-based longitudinal cohort study, 10 years before until 5 years after MS diagnosis. SETTING: Working-age population using microdata linked from nationwide Swedish registers. PARTICIPANTS: Residents in Sweden in 2004 aged 30-54 years with MS diagnosed in 2003-2006 (n=2553), and references without MS (n=7584) randomly selected by stratified matching. OUTCOME MEASURES: Quartiles of earnings were calculated for each study year prior to and following the MS diagnosis. Mean earnings, by educational level and type of occupation, before and after diagnosis were compared using t-tests. Tobit regressions investigated the associations of earnings with individual characteristics. The proportions on SA and/or DP, by educational level and type of occupation, for the diagnosis year and 5 years later were compared. RESULTS: Differences in earnings between PwMS and references were observed beginning 1 year before diagnosis, and increased thereafter. PwMS had lower mean earnings for the diagnosis year (difference=SEK 28 000, p<0.05), and 5 years after diagnosis, this difference had more than doubled (p<0.05). These differences remained after including educational level and type of occupation. Overall, the earnings of PwMS with university education and/or more qualified occupations were most like their reference peers. The proportions on SA and DP were higher among PwMS than the references. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the PwMS' earnings are lower than the references' beginning shortly before MS diagnosis, with this gap increasing thereafter. Besides SA and DP, the results indicate that educational level and type of occupation are influential determinants of the large heterogeneity of PwMS' earnings.

Costs of illness progression for different multiple sclerosis phenotypes: a population-based study in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Little is known of how the cost of illness and health-related quality of life changes over time after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. OBJECTIVES: The aim was thus to explore the progression of annual direct and indirect costs and health-related quality of life among people with multiple sclerosis of working ages, following diagnosis with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) or conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) after RRMS. METHODS: Swedish nationwide registers were linked to estimate the annual cost of illness in 2006-2013 among people with a registered new multiple sclerosis phenotype, including: direct costs, indirect costs, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Drugs and indirect costs for sick leave were the main cost drivers after diagnosis with RRMS. After conversion to SPMS, the RRMS cost drivers were replaced by indirect costs for disability pension. The main cost driver in newly diagnosed PPMS was indirect costs for sick leave, later replaced by disability pension. Health-related quality of life scores were similar after RRMS and SPMS. CONCLUSIONS: After initial high indirect costs for sick leave, people with RRMS had higher drug costs compared to people with PPMS. Cost drivers during SPMS initially followed the pattern in the RRMS population, but were replaced by indirect costs for disability pension.

Cognitive function predicts work disability among multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND: In multiple sclerosis various aspects of cognitive function can be detrimentally affected. More than that, patients´ employment and social functioning is likely to be impacted. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether work disability among multiple sclerosis patients could be predicted by the symbol digit modalities test. METHODS: A register-based cohort study was conducted. Individual data on work disability, operationalised as annual net days of sickness absence and/or disability pension were retrieved at baseline, when the symbol digit modalities test was performed, after one-year and 3-year follow-up for 903 multiple sclerosis patients. The incidence rate ratios for work disability were calculated with general estimating equations using a negative binomial distribution and were adjusted for gender, age, educational level, family composition, type of living area and physical disability. RESULTS: After one year of follow-up, the patients in the lowest symbol digit modalities test quartile were estimated to have a 73% higher rate of work disability when compared to the patients in the highest symbol digit modalities test quartile (incidence rate ratio 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.42‒2.10). This estimate after 3-year follow-up was similar (incidence rate ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.40‒2.02). CONCLUSION: Cognitive function is to a high extent associated with multiple sclerosis patients' future work disability, even after adjusting for other factors.

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.

Costs and quality of life by disability among people with multiple sclerosis: a register-based study in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Population-based estimates of costs of illness and health-related quality of life, by disability levels among people with multiple sclerosis, are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the annual costs of illness and health-related quality of life, by disability levels, among multiple sclerosis patients, 21-64 years of age. METHODS: Microdata from Swedish nationwide registers were linked to estimate the prevalence-based costs of illness in 2013, including direct costs (prescription drug use and specialised healthcare) and indirect costs (calculated using sick leave and disability pension), and health-related quality of life (estimated from the EQ-5D). Disability level was measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). RESULTS: Among 8906 multiple sclerosis patients, EDSS 0.0-3.5 and 7.0-9.5 were associated with mean indirect costs of SEK 117,609 and 461,357, respectively, whereas direct costs were similar between the categories (SEK 117,423 and 102,714, respectively). Prescription drug costs represented 40% of the costs of illness among multiple sclerosis patients with low EDSS, while among patients with high EDSS more than 80% were indirect costs. Among the 1684 individuals who had reported both EQ-5D and EDSS, the lowest health-related quality of life scores were found among those with a high EDSS. CONCLUSION: Among people with multiple sclerosis, we confirmed higher costs and lower health-related quality of life in higher disability levels, in particular high 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 disposable income among people of working ages diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: a nationwide register-based cohort study in Sweden 7 years before to 4 years after diagnosis with a population-based reference group.

OBJECTIVES: To describe how disposable income (DI) and three main components changed, and analyse whether DI development differed from working-aged people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to a reference group from 7 years before to 4 years after diagnosis in Sweden. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study, 12-year follow-up (7 years before to 4 years after diagnosis). SETTING: Swedish working-age population with microdata linked from two nationwide registers. PARTICIPANTS: Residents diagnosed with MS in 2009 aged 25-59 years (n=785), and references without MS (n=7847) randomly selected with stratified matching (sex, age, education and country of birth). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: DI was defined as the annual after tax sum of incomes (earnings and benefits) to measure individual economic welfare. Three main components of DI were analysed as annual sums: earnings, sickness absence benefits and disability pension benefits. RESULTS: We found no differences in mean annual DI between people with and without MS by independent t-tests (p values between 0.15 and 0.96). Differences were found for all studied components of DI from diagnosis year by independent t-tests, for example, in the final study year (2013): earnings (-64 867 Swedish Krona (SEK); 95% CI-79 203 to -50 528); sickness absence benefits (13 330 SEK; 95% CI 10 042 to 16 500); and disability pension benefits (21 360 SEK; 95% CI 17 380 to 25 350). A generalised estimating equation evaluated DI trajectory development between people with and without MS to find both trajectories developed in parallel, both before (-4039 SEK; 95% CI -10 536 to 2458) and after (-781 SEK; 95% CI -6988 to 5360) diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The key finding of parallel DI trajectory development between working-aged MS and references suggests minimal economic impact within the first 4 years of diagnosis. The Swedish welfare system was responsive to the observed reductions in earnings around MS diagnosis through balancing DI with morbidity-related benefits. Future decreases in economic welfare may be experienced as the disease progresses, although thorough investigation with future studies of modern cohorts are required.

Costs of illness of multiple sclerosis in Sweden: a population-based register study of people of working age.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes work disability and healthcare resource use, but little is known about the distribution of the associated costs to society. OBJECTIVES: We estimated the cost of illness (COI) of working-aged individuals with MS, from the societal perspective, overall and in different groups. METHODS: A population-based study was conducted, using data linked from several nationwide registers, on 14,077 individuals with MS, aged 20-64 years and living in Sweden. Prevalence-based direct and indirect costs in 2010 were calculated, including costs for prescription drug use, specialized healthcare, sick leave, and disability pension. RESULTS: The estimated COI of all the MS patients were SEK 3950 million, of which 75% were indirect costs. MS was the main diagnosis for resource use, causing 38% of healthcare costs and 67% of indirect costs. The distribution of costs was skewed, in which less than 25% of the patients accounted for half the total COI. CONCLUSIONS: Indirect costs contributed to approximately 75% of the estimated overall COI of MS patients of working age in Sweden. MS was the main diagnosis for more than half of the estimated COI in this patient group. Further studies are needed to gain knowledge on development of costs over time during the MS disease course.

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.

Development and Preliminary Validation of Refugee Trauma History Checklist (RTHC)-A Brief Checklist for Survey Studies.

A high proportion of refugees have been subjected to potentially traumatic experiences (PTEs), including torture. PTEs, and torture in particular, are powerful predictors of mental ill health. This paper reports the development and preliminary validation of a brief refugee trauma checklist applicable for survey studies. METHODS: A pool of 232 items was generated based on pre-existing instruments. Conceptualization, item selection and item refinement was conducted based on existing literature and in collaboration with experts. Ten cognitive interviews using a Think Aloud Protocol (TAP) were performed in a clinical setting, and field testing of the proposed checklist was performed in a total sample of n = 137 asylum seekers from Syria. RESULTS: The proposed refugee trauma history checklist (RTHC) consists of 2 × 8 items, concerning PTEs that occurred before and during the respondents' flight, respectively. Results show low item non-response and adequate psychometric properties Conclusion: RTHC is a usable tool for providing self-report data on refugee trauma history surveys of community samples. The core set of included events can be augmented and slight modifications can be applied to RTHC for use also in other refugee populations and settings.