Ronny Bruffaerts

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

Objective:u2002 To describe the 12‐month and lifetime prevalence rates of mood, anxiety and alcohol disorders in six European countries.

Functional disability of mental disorders and comparison with physical disorders: A study among the general population of six European countries

Objective:u2002 To examine the association of mental and physical disorders with multiple domains of functioning and compare the two.

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

Objective:u2002 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.

Parental Psychopathology and the Risk of Suicidal Behavior in their Offspring: Results from the World Mental Health Surveys

Previous research suggests that parental psychopathology predicts suicidal behavior among offspring; however, the more fine-grained associations between specific parental disorders and distinct stages of the pathway to suicide are not well understood. We set out to test the hypothesis that parental disorders associated with negative mood would predict offspring suicide ideation, whereas disorders characterized by impulsive aggression (for example, antisocial personality) and anxiety/agitation (for example, panic disorder) would predict which offspring act on their suicide ideation and make a suicide attempt. Data were collected during face-to-face interviews conducted on nationally representative samples (N=55u2009299; age 18+) from 21 countries around the world. We tested the associations between a range of parental disorders and the onset and persistence over time (that is, time since most recent episode controlling for age of onset and time since onset) of subsequent suicidal behavior (suicide ideation, plans and attempts) among offspring. Analyses tested bivariate and multivariate associations between each parental disorder and distinct forms of suicidal behavior. Results revealed that each parental disorder examined increased the risk of suicide ideation among offspring, parental generalized anxiety and depression emerged as the only predictors of the onset and persistence (respectively) of suicide plans among offspring with ideation, whereas parental antisocial personality and anxiety disorders emerged as the only predictors of the onset and persistence of suicide attempts among ideators. A dose-response relation between parental disorders and respondent risk of suicide ideation and attempt was also found. Parental death by suicide was a particularly strong predictor of persistence of suicide attempts among offspring. These associations remained significant after controlling for comorbidity of parental disorders and for the presence of mental disorders among offspring. These findings should inform future explorations of the mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of suicidal behavior.

12-Month comorbidity patterns and associated factors in Europe: results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project.

Objective:u2002 Comorbidity patterns of 12‐month mood, anxiety and alcohol disorders and socio‐demographic factors associated with comorbidity were studied among the general population of six European countries.

Associations between DSM-IV mental disorders and subsequent self-reported diagnosis of cancer

OBJECTIVEnThe associations between mental disorders and cancer remain unclear. It is also unknown whether any associations vary according to life stage or gender. This paper examines these research questions using data from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative.nnnMETHODSnThe World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview retrospectively assessed the lifetime prevalence of 16 DSM-IV mental disorders in face-to-face household population surveys in nineteen countries (n = 52,095). Cancer was indicated by self-report of diagnosis. Smoking was assessed in questions about current and past tobacco use. Survival analyses estimated associations between first onset of mental disorders and subsequently reported cancer.nnnRESULTSnAfter adjustment for comorbidity, panic disorder, specific phobia and alcohol abuse were associated with a subsequently self-reported diagnosis of cancer. There was an association between number of mental disorders and the likelihood of reporting a cancer diagnosis following the onset of the mental disorder. This suggests that the associations between mental disorders and cancer risk may be generalised, rather than specific to a particular disorder. Depression is more strongly associated with self-reported cancers diagnosed early in life and in women. PTSD is also associated with cancers diagnosed early in life.nnnCONCLUSIONnThis study reports the magnitude of the associations between mental disorders and a self-reported diagnosis of cancer and provides information about the relevance of comorbidity, gender and the impact at different stages of life. The findings point to a link between the two conditions and lend support to arguments for early identification and treatment of mental disorders.

The association between psychotic experiences and disability: results from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

While psychotic experiences (PEs) are known to be associated with a range of mental and general medical disorders, little is known about the association between PEs and measures of disability. We aimed to investigate this question using the World Mental Health surveys.

Erratum: The European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMedD) Project: Rationale and methods, ESEMeD/MHEDEA 2000 investigators (International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research (2003) vol. 11 (2) (55-67))

The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in IJMPR, 11(2): 55–67 and 12(1): 3–21. Copyright

Adverse parenting as a risk factor in the occurrence of anxiety disorders

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to test the homogeneity of the association between adverse parenting and anxiety disorders within these disorders as well as among six European countries.MethodBased on data from 8,232 respondents (part II sample) originating from the European study of the epidemiology of mental disorders (ESEMeD), we examined the association between three dimensions of parental rearing (care, overprotection, authoritarianism) measured by a short form of the parental bonding instrument (PBI) and anxiety disorders by computing one logistic regression model per disorder.ResultsA similar pattern of recalled parenting behaviour across the four anxiety disorders assessed was found, with care and overprotection having the strongest associations. There were only minor country-specific variations of this pattern.ConclusionOur results suggest an association between adverse parenting and the risk of anxiety disorders in particular as well as psychiatric disorders in general that is rather non-disorder specific.

Associations between DSM-IV mental disorders and subsequent onset of arthritis

OBJECTIVEnWe investigated the associations between DSM-IV mental disorders and subsequent arthritis onset, with and without mental disorder comorbidity adjustment. We aimed to determine whether specific types of mental disorders and increasing numbers of mental disorders were associated with the onset of arthritis later in life.nnnMETHODnData were collected using face-to-face household surveys, conducted in 19 countries from different regions of the world (n=52,095). Lifetime prevalence and age at onset of 16 DSM-IV mental disorders were assessed retrospectively with the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI). Arthritis was assessed by self-report of lifetime history of arthritis and age at onset. Survival analyses estimated the association of initial onset of mental disorders with subsequent onset of arthritis.nnnRESULTSnAfter adjusting for comorbidity, the number of mood, anxiety, impulse-control, and substance disorders remained significantly associated with arthritis onset showing odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.2 to 1.4. Additionally, the risk of developing arthritis increased as the number of mental disorders increased from one to five or more disorders.nnnCONCLUSIONnThis study suggests links between mental disorders and subsequent arthritis onset using a large, multi-country dataset. These associations lend support to the idea that it may be possible to reduce the severity of mental disorder-arthritis comorbidity through early identification and effective treatment of mental disorders.