Psychologic distress as a longterm predictor of medical utilisation.
OBJECTIVE
To study baseline psychologic distress as a predictor of self-reported medical utilisation after nine years of follow-up.


METHODS
in 1975-1978 we measured psychologic distress with a neuroticism scale in a general population sample of 826 women aged forty-five to sixty-four years. In the same study, and in a follow-up study nine years later, medical utilisation was quantified as the main outcome in terms of current treatment by a physician and current use of medication.


RESULTS
The age and educational class adjusted odds ratio of baseline physician contact and use of medication for the upper versus the lower quintile of the neuroticism score were 3.3 (95% confidence interval (c.i.): 2.0-5.2) and 3.6 (95% c.i.: 2.2-5.7), respectively. When the baseline neuroticism scores were related to utilisation at follow-up the adjusted odds ratios were 2.1 (95% c.i.: 1.2-3.1) and 2.8 (95% c.i.: 1.8-4.5). However, in the subgroup of 352 women who did not report initial medical utilisation the odds ratios were 1.1 (95% c.i.: 0.5-2.4) and 1.4 (95% c.i.: 0.6-3.1).


CONCLUSIONS
Although an association between psychologic distress and medical utilisation was confirmed, psychologic distress did not predict utilisation in middle-aged women characterised at baseline as non-utilizers.
Van Hemert
A M
AM
Leiden University Hospital, The Netherlands.
Bakker
C H
CH
Vandenbroucke
J P
JP
Valkenburg
H A
HA
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology