Mental Health Among Adults In England, 2007

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 27 Jan 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Nearly one in four people (23.0%) in England had at least one psychiatric disorder in 2007 according to a survey report published today by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care and conducted by NatCen (National Centre for Social Research) in collaboration with the University of Leicester. 7.2% of people had two or more disorders.

The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) series is the only source of data on the national prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorder in the English general population.

England's mental health: rates and trends

- 5.6% of people aged 16 and over have attempted suicide (without succeeding) at some point in their life.

- Women were more likely than men to have thought about committing suicide in the past year (3.4% of men compared with 5.2% of women). The proportion of women thinking about suicide in the last year has increased since 2000, but remained stable among men.

- Self-harming was asked about by an interviewer face to face (as in the 2000 survey). Using this method, the rate among people aged 16-74 of having ever self-harmed increased from 2.3% (in 2000) to 4.8% (in 2007). Self-harming increased most in young women (from 6.5% of 16-24 year olds in 2000, to 11.7% in 2007).

- In 2007, self-harm was also asked in the self-completion section of the interview: 17.0% of women aged 16-24 reported self-harming there, compared with 7.9% of men.

- Alcohol dependence in the past six months fell from 11.5% of respondents (aged 16-74) in 2000 to 9.3% in 2007. This fall was evident in men, among women the rate did not change significantly. Rates of drug dependence in the past year have not changed significantly since 2000.

- Presence of a common mental disorder (CMD) in the past week, such as depression or anxiety, has increased among women aged 16-64 (from 19.1% in 1993 to 21.5% in 2007). The rate in men was more stable (11.9% in 1993, 13.6% in 2007). CMD in people aged 75 and over was also higher in women than men (12.2% of women, 6.3% of men).

- More severe psychiatric disorders have remained stable: about one person in 200 (0.5%) aged 16-74 was identified with having probable psychosis. This rate has not varied significantly since 1993. Antisocial personality disorder (0.3% of those aged 18+) and borderline personality disorder (0.4% of those aged 16+) were also low prevalence disorders. These rates have been stable since first being measured in the 2000 survey.

Treatment

- Only 32% of people with neurotic symptoms assessed as severe enough to require treatment were in receipt of medication or counselling for mental or emotional problem at the time of interview.

- Likelihood of receiving treatment, such as counselling or psychoactive medication, varied by disorder. Rates of treatment were highest for severe conditions such as psychotic disorder (65%) and lowest for less severe conditions such as mixed anxiety and depression (15%).

Findings on disorders not previously assessed in national survey:

- Men made up a quarter of those screening positive for signs of an eating disorder : it is not just an issue for women. Younger people were far more likely than older people to screen positive for the disorder. The study found high rates of disordered eating not only among people who are underweight, but also among the obese. Overall, 6.4% of the population screened positive for an eating disorder at a level that would warrant clinical assessment.

- While attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is well established as a childhood disorder, less is known about its presence in adulthood. This survey identified characteristics of ADHD in a sizeable minority of the population (8.2%). While childhood ADHD is more likely to be diagnosed in boys than girls, survey measurement in adults found no significant difference between men and women.

- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires exposure to a major traumatic event, like being assaulted or experiencing a natural disaster, for diagnosis. A third (33.3%) of people have experienced such a trauma in adulthood, with men slightly more likely than women.

Gambling behaviour

- Was covered for the first time in the survey series in 2007. Overall, around two-thirds (65.9%) of adults spent money on gambling in the past year. Men were more likely than women to gamble. The highest rate for men was those aged 25-34 (75.4%), while for women it was older: those aged 55-64 (69.5%). 3.2% of adults met one or more of the criteria for problem gambling, and so were at least 'at risk' of problem gambling. While gambling was relatively less likely in men aged 16-24, the proportion at risk of problem gambling among these young male gamblers was higher than for any other age group.

APMS series detail:

- The 2007 survey covered older people (aged 75 and over) for the first time in the series. This is the first national research on the prevalence of psychiatric disorder in older people living in private households.

- APMS 2007 included three disorders that have never been measured in a national survey across the English general population before: eating disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

- It is the third in a survey series and provides a measure of change (for some disorders) over the past 8 or 15 years.

- The survey uses a robust random probability sample of households and assesses psychiatric disorder where possible to actual diagnostic criteria. Other studies tend to just use screening tools. 7,461 people took part. The study included an additional clinical assessment conducted with a sub-sample of 600 respondents by a clinically trained research interviewer.

- The survey has been done twice before: in 1993 (with 16-64 year olds) and in 2000 (with 16-74 year olds) and were conducted by the Office for National Statistics. As the third in the series, the 2007 survey presents the most reliable indication of trends in the nation's mental health. The previous surveys covered England, Scotland and Wales.

Notes

1 NatCen is Britain's largest independent social research organisation which aims to promote a better informed society through high quality social research.

NatCen