Abstract:
The UK has an ageing population and a rising prevalence of long-term illhealth. The burden of long-term illness is felt disproportionately by lower socioeconomic groups, with diseases of the heart and circulatory system, diabetes, arthritis, respiratory disease and mental ill-health being most common. Responding to the challenges presented by long-term ill-health is a major concern across health and welfare policy arenas. Within this broader policy debate, the high prevalence of 'multi-morbidity' is receiving increased attention.
While most research and services are based on a single disease paradigm, in reality many individuals have more than one long-term condition simultaneously; and the co-existence of mental and physical illhealth is common. There is a dearth of research that examines such overlapping health problems and policy and programme responses frequently fail to recognise and meet these complex needs.
This programme of work involves statistical analyses of a high quality health and wellbeing survey among Sheffield residents to examine:
- the patterns and predictors of 'multi-morbidity' (focusing on the co-incidence of mental ill-health and chronic physical conditions).
- the consequences of 'multi-morbidity' for healthcare use and social wellbeing
- the implications of these patterns and relationships for health and welfare policy and practice responses.
Department:
Sheffield Hallam University / Shefield PCT
Duration:
1 September 2008 to 31 August 2009
Grant Type:
User Fellowship
Publications
Presentations
Salway, S & Coy, J (2009) - Patterns,
predictors and implications of multi-morbidity, presentation made
at UPTAP workshop, University of Leeds, 24th March
