W.A.M. Vollebergh

Childhood abuse as a risk factor for psychotic experiences.

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that individuals from the general population who report childhood abuse are at increased risk of developing positive psychotic symptoms.

Disability and quality of life impact of mental disorders in Europe: results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project.

Objective:  This manuscript examines the impact of mental health state and specific mental and physical disorders on work role disability and quality of life in six European countries.

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.

Predictors of first incidence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the general population: findings from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study.

de Graaf R, Bijl RV, Ravelli A, Smit F, Vollebergh WAM. Predictors of first incidence of DSM‐III‐R psychiatric disorders in the general population: findings from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2002: 106: 303–313.

Temporal sequencing of lifetime mood disorders in relation to comorbid anxiety and substance use disorders - Findings from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study

Abstract.Background: Little is known about the temporal sequencing of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to obtain insight into patterns of co-occurrence of DSM-III-R mood disorders in relation to anxiety and substance use disorders, their temporal sequencing and the sociodemographic and long-term vulnerability predictors of this temporal sequencing. Methods: Data are from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS), a psychiatric epidemiological study in a representative sample of 7,076 adults aged 18–64. Results: Of those who had ever experienced a mood disorder, 46 % of males and 57 % of females had a history of anxiety disorders, and 43 % and 15 % of substance use disorders. Mood disorders were associated with all anxiety and substance use disorders, except with alcohol abuse among males. In the majority of anxiety-comorbid cases, the mood disorder arose after the anxiety disorder; the pattern for substance use-comorbid disorders was more variable. Deviation from the usual sequence of major depression and anxiety disorders was more often seen among females, subjects with a higher educational level, subjects who experienced childhood parental divorce, and subjects who experienced childhood emotional neglect. Conclusions: When comorbid with anxiety disorders, mood disorders clearly tend to be secondary. Few of the studied demographic factors, familial vulnerability factors and childhood life events predict the sequencing of mood disorders in relation to other disorders.

Comorbidity of physical and mental disorders and the effect on work-loss days.

Objective:  To examine the association between physical and mental disorders and the separate and joint effect of physical and mental disorders on work‐loss.

Self‐reported psychotic experiences in the general population: a valid screening tool for DSM‐III‐R psychotic disorders?

Objective:   To examine the diagnostic value of self‐reported psychotic‐like experiences for DSM‐III‐R psychotic disorders.

Early trauma may increase the risk for psychotic experiences by impacting on emotional response and perception of control

Objective:  Exposure to early trauma may increase the risk of dysfunctional responses to anomalous psychotic experiences resulting in psychotic symptom formation.

Prevalence of bipolar disorder in the general population: a Reappraisal Study of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study

Objective:  The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS) is a Dutch population study using a fully structured interview (Composite International Diagnostic Interview, CIDI), administered by trained interviewers. Based on all three assessments of NEMESIS, 2.4% of the respondents were identified with lifetime bipolar disorder (DSM‐III‐R).

Dimensions of depression, mania and psychosis in the general population

BACKGROUND In order to investigate whether correlated but separable symptom dimensions that have been identified in clinical samples also have a distribution in the general population, the underlying structure of symptoms of depression, mania and psychosis was studied in a general population sample of 7072 individuals. METHOD Data were obtained from the three measurements of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Symptoms of depression, mania and the positive symptoms of psychosis were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Confirmatory factor-analysis was used to test statistically the fit of hypothesized models of one, two, three or seven dimensions. RESULTS The seven-dimensional model comprising core depression, sleep problems, suicidal thoughts, mania, paranoid delusions, first-rank delusions and hallucinations fitted the data best, whereas the unidimensional model obtained the poorest fit. This pattern of results could be replicated at both follow-up measurements. The results were similar for the subsamples with and without a lifetime DSM-III-R diagnosis. The seven dimensions were moderately to strongly correlated, with correlations ranging from 0.18 to 0.73 (mean 0.45). CONCLUSIONS In the general population, seven correlated but separable dimensions of experiences exist that resemble dimensions of psychopathology seen in clinical samples with severe mental illness. The substantial correlations between these dimensions in clinical and non-clinical samples may suggest that there is aetiological overlap between the different dimensions regardless of level of severity and diagnosable disorder.