Long‐Term Trends in Parkinson's Disease and Associated Mental Health Disorders: Insights From the CDC WONDER Database, 1999–2023

BACKGROUND: The U.S. population is aging with an increasing burden of Parkinson's disease (PD) and its frequent co-occurring mental health disorders. However, mortality trends related to PD and these comorbid mental health disorders among older adults remain understudied. OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in mortality due to PD and related mental health conditions among adults aged 45 and older in the United States from 1999 to 2023. METHODS: We extracted mortality data for PD and mental health-related conditions among individuals aged 45 and older from the CDC WONDER database. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were calculated per 100,000 persons and stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, census region, and urbanization status. Annual percentage changes (APCs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the Joinpoint regression program. RESULTS: PD and its associated mental health disorders resulted in 238,378 deaths between 1999 and 2023. The AAMR increased significantly from 3.83 in 1999 to 8.49 in 2023 with an AAPC of 3.20 (p = 0.005). Males consistently showed higher AAMRs than females (overall AAMR male: 11.40 vs. female: 5.75). Non-Hispanic (NH) Whites had the highest mortality rates (8.67), while NH African Americans exhibited the lowest (4.66). Crude mortality rate was the highest among older adults (21.09), reflecting the greatest burden in this population. Similarly, the mortality rates were higher in nonmetropolitan areas (8.15) than the metropolitan areas (7.72). The highest AAMR was noted in the Midwest (9.18), with a standard deviation of 14.08 in Minnesota and 5.44 in Arizona. The majority of the deaths were recorded in nursing or long-term care facilities (52.65%). CONCLUSION: The increasing trend in mortality highlights the necessity of focused preventive, diagnostic, and treatment approaches for all susceptible groups.