Ron de Graaf

Prevalence of mental disorders in Europe: results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project

Objective:  To describe the 12‐month and lifetime prevalence rates of mood, anxiety and alcohol disorders in six European countries.

Cross-National Prevalence and Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation, Plans, and Attempts

BACKGROUND Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide; however, the prevalence and risk factors for the immediate precursors to suicide - suicidal ideation, plans and attempts - are not wellknown, especially in low- and middle-income countries. AIMS To report on the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal behaviours across 17 countries. METHOD A total of 84 850 adults were interviewed regarding suicidal behaviours and socio-demographic and psychiatric risk factors. RESULTS The cross-national lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts is 9.2% (s.e.=0.1), 3.1% (s.e.=0.1), and 2.7% (s.e.=0.1). Across all countries, 60% of transitions from ideation to plan and attempt occur within the first year after ideation onset. Consistent cross-national risk factors included being female, younger, less educated, unmarried and having a mental disorder. Interestingly, the strongest diagnostic risk factors were mood disorders in high-income countries but impulse control disorders in low- and middle-income countries. CONCLUSION There is cross-national variability in the prevalence of suicidal behaviours, but strong consistency in the characteristics and risk factors for these behaviours. These findings have significant implications for the prediction and prevention of suicidal behaviours.

Cross-national epidemiology of DSM-IV major depressive episode.

BackgroundMajor depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, yet epidemiologic data are not available for many countries, particularly low- to middle-income countries. In this paper, we present data on the prevalence, impairment and demographic correlates of depression from 18 high and low- to middle-income countries in the World Mental Health Survey Initiative.MethodsMajor depressive episodes (MDE) as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DMS-IV) were evaluated in face-to-face interviews using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Data from 18 countries were analyzed in this report (n = 89,037). All countries surveyed representative, population-based samples of adults.ResultsThe average lifetime and 12-month prevalence estimates of DSM-IV MDE were 14.6% and 5.5% in the ten high-income and 11.1% and 5.9% in the eight low- to middle-income countries. The average age of onset ascertained retrospectively was 25.7 in the high-income and 24.0 in low- to middle-income countries. Functional impairment was associated with recency of MDE. The female: male ratio was about 2:1. In high-income countries, younger age was associated with higher 12-month prevalence; by contrast, in several low- to middle-income countries, older age was associated with greater likelihood of MDE. The strongest demographic correlate in high-income countries was being separated from a partner, and in low- to middle-income countries, was being divorced or widowed.ConclusionsMDE is a significant public-health concern across all regions of the world and is strongly linked to social conditions. Future research is needed to investigate the combination of demographic risk factors that are most strongly associated with MDE in the specific countries included in the WMH.

Common Chronic Pain Conditions in Developed and Developing Countries: Gender and Age Differences and Comorbidity With Depression-Anxiety Disorders

UNLABELLED Although there is a growing body of research concerning the prevalence and correlates of chronic pain conditions and their association with mental disorders, cross-national research on age and gender differences is limited. The present study reports the prevalence by age and gender of common chronic pain conditions (headache, back or neck pain, arthritis or joint pain, and other chronic pain) in 10 developed and 7 developing countries and their association with the spectrum of both depressive and anxiety disorders. It draws on data from 18 general adult population surveys using a common survey questionnaire (N = 42,249). Results show that age-standardized prevalence of chronic pain conditions in the previous 12 months was 37.3% in developed countries and 41.1% in developing countries, with back pain and headache being somewhat more common in developing than developed countries. After controlling for comorbid chronic physical diseases, several findings were consistent across developing and developed countries. There was a higher prevalence of chronic pain conditions among females and older persons; and chronic pain was similarly associated with depression-anxiety spectrum disorders in developed and developing countries. However, the large majority of persons reporting chronic pain did not meet criteria for depression or anxiety disorder. We conclude that common pain conditions affect a large percentage of persons in both developed and developing countries. PERSPECTIVE Chronic pain conditions are common in both developed and developing countries. Overall, the prevalence of pain is greater among females and among older persons. Although most persons reporting pain do not meet criteria for a depressive or anxiety disorder, depression/anxiety spectrum disorders are associated with pain in both developed and developing countries.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Binge Eating Disorder in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys

BACKGROUND Little population-based data exist outside the United States on the epidemiology of binge eating disorder (BED). Cross-national BED data are presented here and compared with bulimia nervosa (BN) data in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health Surveys. METHODS Community surveys with 24,124 respondents (ages 18+) across 14 mostly upper-middle and high-income countries assessed lifetime and 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Physical disorders were assessed with a chronic conditions checklist. RESULTS Country-specific lifetime prevalence estimates are consistently (median; interquartile range) higher for BED (1.4%; .8-1.9%) than BN (.8%; .4-1.0%). Median age of onset is in the late teens to early 20s for both disorders but slightly younger for BN. Persistence is slightly higher for BN (6.5 years; 2.2-15.4) than BED (4.3 years; 1.0-11.7). Lifetime risk of both disorders is elevated for women and recent cohorts. Retrospective reports suggest that comorbid DSM-IV disorders predict subsequent onset of BN somewhat more strongly than BED and that BN predicts subsequent comorbid disorders somewhat more strongly than does BED. Significant comorbidities with physical conditions are due almost entirely to BN and to a somewhat lesser degree BED predicting subsequent onset of these conditions. Role impairments are similar for BN and BED. Fewer than half of lifetime BN or BED cases receive treatment. CONCLUSIONS Binge eating disorder represents a public health problem at least equal to BN. Low treatment rates highlight the clinical importance of questioning patients about eating problems even when not included among presenting complaints.

Cross-national analysis of the associations among mental disorders and suicidal behavior: findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys.

Using data from over 100,000 individuals in 21 countries participating in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys, Matthew Nock and colleagues investigate which mental health disorders increase the odds of experiencing suicidal thoughts and actual suicide attempts, and how these relationships differ across developed and developing countries.

Mental disorders among persons with chronic back or neck pain: Results from the world mental health surveys

Abstract This paper reports cross‐national data concerning back or neck pain comorbidity with mental disorders. We assessed (a) the prevalence of chronic back/neck pain, (b) the prevalence of mental disorders among people with chronic back/neck pain, (c) which mental disorder had strongest associations with chronic back/neck pain, and (d) whether these associations are consistent across countries. Population surveys of community‐dwelling adults were carried out in 17 countries in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific (N = 85,088). Mental disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, third version (CIDI 3.0): anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder/agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder), mood disorders (major depression and dysthymia), and alcohol abuse or dependence. Back/neck pain was ascertained by self‐report. Between 10% and 42% reported chronic back/neck pain in the previous 12 months. After adjusting for age and sex, mental disorders were more common among persons with back/neck pain than among persons without. The pooled odds ratios were 2.3 [95% CI = 2.1–2.5] for mood disorders, 2.2 [95% CI = 2.1–2.4] for anxiety disorders, and 1.6 [95% CI = 1.4–1.9] for alcohol abuse/dependence in people with versus without chronic back/neck pain. Although prevalence rates of back/neck pain were generally lower than in previous reports, mental disorders were associated with chronic back/neck pain. The strength of association was stronger for mood and anxiety disorders than for alcohol abuse/dependence. The association of mental disorders with back/neck pain showed a consistent pattern across both developed and developing countries.

Use of mental health services in Europe : results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project

Objective:  Comprehensive information about access and patterns of use of mental health services in Europe is lacking. We present the first results of the use of health services for mental disorders in six European countries as part of the ESEMeD project.

The epidemiology of eating disorders in six European countries: Results of the ESEMeD-WMH project

Few data are available to estimate the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) and their correlates in the community. This paper reports data on EDs obtained in the framework of the ESEMeD project, aimed at investigating the prevalence of non-psychotic mental disorders in six European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain), using a new version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The ESEMeD study was a general population cross-sectional household survey. In total, 21,425 respondents aged 18 or older provided data for the project between January 2001 and August 2003. A subsample (N=4139) underwent a detailed investigation on EDs. Lifetime estimated prevalence of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, sub-threshold binge eating disorder, and any binge eating were 0.48%, 0.51%, 1.12%, 0.72%, and 2.15%, respectively, and they were 3-8 times higher among women for all EDs. However, since people under 18 were excluded from this study, our prevalence should be taken as lower-bound estimate of real frequencies. Indeed, cumulative lifetime prevalence analysis showed that the majority of eating disorders had their initial onset between 10 and 20 years of age. Role impairment and comorbidity with other mental disorders were highly common, yet only small proportions of patients with a lifetime diagnosis of EDs requested medical treatment. It still has to be proven whether early diagnostic identification and access to specialized care can reduce the burden caused by these disorders.

Minor depression: risk profiles, functional disability, health care use and risk of developing major depression.

BACKGROUND minor depression has been found to affect quality of life, result in a increased service utilization, and lead to an increased risk of developing a major depression. In this study we examine risk profiles, functional disability, service utilization and the risk of developing major depression in minor depression. METHODS a random sample of the Dutch population (n=7076) was interviewed at baseline and 1 and 3 years later (response rate: 69.7%). Five categories of depression status were defined: major depression with seven to nine symptoms; with five or six symptoms; minor depression; one key symptom only; no depressive symptoms. Independent variables included: functional disability; care utilization; sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS functional disability was more pronounced in more severe categories of depression. Health care use was also found to be most intensive for more severe depression. The risk of developing major depression in subjects with minor depression was found to be 8.0% after 2 years. LIMITATIONS there had already been some attrition from the study when minor depression was measured. A definition of minor depression which approached the DSM-IV definition. Absence of homeless individuals in the dataset. CONCLUSIONS depressive disorders seem to exist on a continuum, rather than in separate categories. Subjects with minor depression make less use of professional services than subjects with major depression, but because minor depression is more prevalent than major depression, the absolute number of subjects with minor depression receiving professional help is considerable.