title: Arthritis and physical-mental comorbidity in metropolitan China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study estimates psychiatric and physical comorbidity among people reporting arthritis and related role impairment in metropolitan China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were derived from a large-scale and representative household survey of adult respondents in Beijing and Shanghai. Arthritis and other chronic physical conditions were assessed by self-report. Mental disorders were assessed by the World Mental Health version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the respondents reporting arthritis in Beijing (8.6%) and Shanghai (15.3%), the vast majority (Beijing, 85.2%; Shanghai, 79.9%) also reported at least one other comorbid condition, including chronic pain (Beijing, 73.4%; Shanghai, 64.8%), chronic physical diseases (Beijing, 54.7%; Shanghai, 57.2%), and mental disorders (Beijing, 10.5%; Shanghai, 10.0%). Arthritis was significantly associated with role impairment, but the association disappeared after controlling for demographic variables and comorbidities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical-mental comorbidity is common and has important clinical and public health implications in China. Reasons for regional differences in prevalence and pattern of comorbidity require further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. singlee@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Sing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Adley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Yue-qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ming-yuan
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhao-rui
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yan-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Von Korff
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kessler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*