Abstract
This study examines the use of nonpsychiatric Services by mentally ill persons following the receipt of specialized mental health care, frequently referred to as the “offset effect.” A total of 9, 761 persons enrolled during 1975 in the Columbia Medical Plan, a prepaid group practice in Columbia, Maryland, were studied over a 5-year period. Enrollees were classified into three groups: Treated-mental disorder diagnosis in 1975 and specialized mental health care in 1975; Untreated-mental disorder diagnosis in 1975 but no specialized mental health care in that year; and Comparison-neither mental disorder diagnosis nor specialized mental health care in 1975. The nonpsychiatric utilization for these groups was compared for 1973-1977. Specialized mental health care appears to have a short-term effect on nonpsychiatric utilization by attenuating the peak in use. Mentally ill persons without specialized mental health care in 1975 also reduced their use of nonpsychiatric Services in 1976-1977. The utilization changes were more likely to occur in primary care departments, rather than nonpsychiatric specialty care departments. A diagnosis of mental disorder in either 1973 or 1974 was associated with a larger offset effect.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1099-1110 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Medical care |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1983 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Mental health
- Offset
- Utilization
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health