title: Affective and anxiety disorders and their relationship with chronic physical conditions in Australia: findings of the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to report nationally representative data on the prevalence and patterns of 12 month comorbidity of chronic physical conditions (diabetes, asthma, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis) and DSM-IV affective and anxiety disorders in Australian adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHWB) was a nationally representative household survey of 8841 Australian adults (16-85 years) assessing symptoms of ICD-10 mental disorders and the presence of chronic physical conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of at least one National Health Priority Area chronic physical condition was 32.2% (95%CI = 30.9%-33.5%). Among those with chronic physical conditions 21.9% had an affective or anxiety disorder. Affective and anxiety disorders were more common among people with physical conditions than among people without chronic physical conditions (affective OR 1.5; anxiety OR 1.8). Of those with a 12 month affective or anxiety disorder, 45.6% had a chronic physical condition. Physical disorders were more common in those with an affective or anxiety disorder than among people without an affective or anxiety disorder (affective OR 1.6; anxiety OR 2.0). Disability was high in those with an anxiety disorder, an affective disorder and a physical condition and 43.4% were classified as high service users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comorbidity between chronic physical conditions and affective and anxiety disorders is widespread and is associated with high levels of disability and service use.
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. m.teesson@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Maree
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teesson
authors.forename: Philip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deady
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Memedovic
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baillie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence