Tuberculosis and mental health in the Asia-Pacific

Paul H Mason¹, Annika C Sweetland², Greg J Fox³, Shaun Halovic⁴, Thu Anh Nguyen⁵, Guy B Marks⁶

Affiliations

¹ Research Fellow, Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, and; Honorary Fellow, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, and; Scholarly Teaching Fellow, Department of Anthropology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia paul.mason@woolcock.org.au.
² Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
³ Clinical Lecturer, Medicine, Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, and; Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Clinical Project Officer, Westmead Psychotherapy Program, Westmead, NSW, Clinical Lecturer, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ Country Director, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
⁶ Clinical Professor, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, and; Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, and; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 27206468
PMCID: PMC5332205
DOI: 10.1177/1039856216649770

Review

Tuberculosis and mental health in the Asia-Pacific

Paul H Mason et al. Australas Psychiatry. 2016 Dec.

. 2016 Dec;24(6):553-555.

doi: 10.1177/1039856216649770. Epub 2016 May 20.

Authors

Paul H Mason¹, Annika C Sweetland², Greg J Fox³, Shaun Halovic⁴, Thu Anh Nguyen⁵, Guy B Marks⁶

Affiliations

¹ Research Fellow, Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, and; Honorary Fellow, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, and; Scholarly Teaching Fellow, Department of Anthropology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia paul.mason@woolcock.org.au.
² Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
³ Clinical Lecturer, Medicine, Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, and; Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Clinical Project Officer, Westmead Psychotherapy Program, Westmead, NSW, Clinical Lecturer, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ Country Director, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
⁶ Clinical Professor, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, and; Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, and; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 27206468
PMCID: PMC5332205
DOI: 10.1177/1039856216649770

Abstract

Objective: This opinion piece encourages mental health researchers and clinicians to engage with mental health issues among tuberculosis patients in the Asia-Pacific region in a culturally appropriate and ethical manner. The diversity of cultural contexts and the high burden of tuberculosis throughout the Asia-Pacific presents significant challenges. Research into tuberculosis and mental illness in this region is an opportunity to develop more nuanced models of mental illness and treatment, while simultaneously contributing meaningfully to regional tuberculosis care and prevention.

Conclusions: We overview key issues in tuberculosis and mental illness co-morbidity, highlight ethical concerns and advocate for a regional approach to tuberculosis and mental health that is consistent with the transnational challenges presented by this airborne infectious disease. Integrating tuberculosis and mental health services will go a long way to addressing the needs of vulnerable populations and stopping the transmission of one of the world's biggest infectious killers.

Keywords: Asia-Pacific; depression; mental health; mental illness; psychosis; tuberculosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

References

1. WHO. [accessed 5 January 2016];Tuberculosis: fact sheet No. 104. 2015 http://www.fs104/en/
1. Majumdar SS, Marais BJ, Denholm JT, et al. Drug-resistant tuberculosis: collaborative regional leadership required. Med J Aust. 2014;200:241–242. - PubMed
1. WHO. Global tuberculosis report. WHO; Geneva: 2014.
1. Lumb R, Bastian I, Gilpin C, et al. Tuberculosis in Australia: bacteriologically confirmed cases and drug resistance, 2008 and 2009. Comm Dis Intell. 2011;35:154–161. - PubMed
1. Toms C, Stapledon R, Waring J, et al. TB notifications in Australia, 2012 and 2013. Comm Dis Intell. 2015;39:217–235. - PubMed

Publication types

Actions

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
- scite Smart Citations
Medical
- MedlinePlus Health Information

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Tuberculosis and mental health in the Asia-Pacific

Affiliations

Tuberculosis and mental health in the Asia-Pacific

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical