Thomas Løkkegaard1, John S Andersen1, Rikke K Jacobsen2, Jens H Badsberg2, Torben Jørgensen3, Charlotta Pisinger4. 1. Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, DK. 2. Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, DK. 3. Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, DK Faculty of Health Science, University of Copenhagen, DK Faculty of Medicine, University of Aalborg, DK. 4. Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, DK charlotta.pisinger@regionh.dk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Concerns that general health checks, including screening for risk factors to ischemic heart disease (IHD), have negative psychological consequences seem widely unfounded; however, previous studies are only based on self-reports from participants. AIM: To investigate if risk factor screening in healthy adults leads to mental distress in the study population, independent of participation. METHODS: The Inter99 study (1999 - 2006) was a randomised intervention in the general population, aiming to prevent IHD by a healthier lifestyle. We included the whole study population, independent of participation (n = 60,915). We merged data with information on the use of psychotropic medicationand/or hospitalisation due to psychiatric diagnoses, as retrieved from national registers in Denmark, 4 years before and 5 years after the study began. We conducted analyses using generalised estimating equations. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in their use of antipsychotics, hypnotics/sedatives, antidepressants or anxiolytics. As regards admission to the hospital with mental disorders, no significant difference was seen. These findings were true based on a yearly basis, and when investigating both short-term and a long-term effects of the intervention. There was no interaction with socioeconomic status. Of the 918 persons with a psychiatric diagnosis before the study start, 303 (33%) were re-admitted in the intervention period. Pre-screening of psychological status did not influence the psychological impact of screening. CONCLUSIONS: This large, randomised intervention study supports that screening for risk factors to IHD does not increase mental distress, not even in the mentally or socioeconomically most vulnerable persons. This study included the whole Inter99 study population not only study participants.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Concerns that general health checks, including screening for risk factors to ischemic heart disease (IHD), have negative psychological consequences seem widely unfounded; however, previous studies are only based on self-reports from participants. AIM: To investigate if risk factor screening in healthy adults leads to mental distress in the study population, independent of participation. METHODS: The Inter99 study (1999 - 2006) was a randomised intervention in the general population, aiming to prevent IHD by a healthier lifestyle. We included the whole study population, independent of participation (n = 60,915). We merged data with information on the use of psychotropic medication and/or hospitalisation due to psychiatric diagnoses, as retrieved from national registers in Denmark, 4 years before and 5 years after the study began. We conducted analyses using generalised estimating equations. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in their use of antipsychotics, hypnotics/sedatives, antidepressants or anxiolytics. As regards admission to the hospital with mental disorders, no significant difference was seen. These findings were true based on a yearly basis, and when investigating both short-term and a long-term effects of the intervention. There was no interaction with socioeconomic status. Of the 918 persons with a psychiatric diagnosis before the study start, 303 (33%) were re-admitted in the intervention period. Pre-screening of psychological status did not influence the psychological impact of screening. CONCLUSIONS: This large, randomised intervention study supports that screening for risk factors to IHD does not increase mental distress, not even in the mentally or socioeconomically most vulnerable persons. This study included the whole Inter99 study population not only study participants.
Authors: Massimo F Piepoli; Arno W Hoes; Stefan Agewall; Christian Albus; Carlos Brotons; Alberico L Catapano; Marie-Therese Cooney; Ugo Corrà; Bernard Cosyns; Christi Deaton; Ian Graham; Michael Stephen Hall; F D Richard Hobbs; Maja-Lisa Løchen; Herbert Löllgen; Pedro Marques-Vidal; Joep Perk; Eva Prescott; Josep Redon; Dimitrios J Richter; Naveed Sattar; Yvo Smulders; Monica Tiberi; H Bart van der Worp; Ineke van Dis; W M Monique Verschuren; Simone Binno Journal: Eur Heart J Date: 2016-05-23 Impact factor: 29.983