Objective:

To determine the healthy life years (HLY) lost as a result of mental disorders and nervous system diseases in Medellin from 2006 to 2012.

Methods:

Descriptive study using a secondary information source according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) framework. To calculate the years of potential life lost (YPLL), we used vital statistics data; to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALY), we used morbidity data from individual records managed by health service providers, outpatient clinics and other research studies. HLY are the sum of YPLL and DALY.

Results:

In Medellin, from 2006 to 2012, out of 1,242,407 HLY related to mental disorders and nervous system diseases, the vast majority (99.39%) were due to disability. Most HLY were found in females (70.22%) and 81% were found in people aged 15 to 59. The disorders representing the greatest burden were unipolar depressive disorder (81%), Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia (4.82%), schizophrenia (3.5%) and drug use disorders (2.78%).

Conclusions:

Our results indicate a significant increase in the disease burden due to mental disorders and nervous system diseases. Public policy decision-makers in the city of Medellin should take note, as health problems of this type can result in a substantial rise in healthcare costs.

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