The burden of conditions not attributable to mental disorders

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to extend previous findings on the relationship of V code conditions to use of psychiatric services and treatment outcome. METHOD: The group under study involved 2,542 outpatients from three community mental health centers in Nova Scotia, Canada. From this group, three subgroups of patients were compared: 1) patients with V code conditions, 2) patients with DSM-III-R mental disorders, and 3) patients with both V code conditions and mental disorders. RESULTS: The majority of patients (61.8%) were diagnosed with V code conditions, and a substantial minority (19.6%) had V code conditions as the sole diagnoses. Patients with V code conditions without mental disorders were similar to patients with mental disorders in consumption of treatment resources and treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies for improving the efficiency of mental health services to patients with V code conditions need to be developed.