scholarly journals Deconstructing current comorbidity: data from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being

2002 ◽  
Vol 181 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin Andrews ◽  
Tim Slade ◽  
Cathy Issakidis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys ◽  
Common Causes ◽  
Symptom Level ◽  
Health And Well Being

BackgroundComorbidity in epidemiological surveys of mental disorders is common and of uncertain importance.AimsTo explore the correlates of current comorbidity.MethodData from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being were used to evaluate the relationships between comorbidity, disability and service utilisation associated with particular mental disorders.ResultsThe number of current comorbid disorders predicted disability, distress, neuroticism score and service utilisation. Comorbidity is more frequent than expected, which might be due to the effect of one disorder on the symptom level of another, or to the action of common causes on both. The combination of affective and anxiety disorders was more predictive of disability and service utilisation than any other two or three group combinations. When people nominated their principal disorder as the set of symptoms that troubled them the most, the affective and anxiety disorders together were associated with four-fifths of the disability and service utilisation.ConclusionsTo make clinical interventions more practical, current comorbidity is best reduced to a principal disorder and subsidiary disorders.

scholarly journals The National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being in Australia: Impact on Policy

2002 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 819-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Prevalence ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
The Common ◽  
Health And Well Being

Objective: To provide a synopsis of the 3-part National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being in Australia and to examine the yield in terms of policy and other changes in mental and general health services. Method: Published data are examined, and a commentary is provided on service-delivery issues that the data have revealed. Results: One-year prevalence estimates for the common mental disorders, defined according to ICD-10 criteria and assessed using the automated version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-A), have indicated rates similar to those of other countries (17.7%). Alarmingly high rates were found for alcohol and substance abuse in young persons, especially among young men. The number of years of life lost owing to disability attributable to mental disorders exceeds the number lost owing to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Only 35% of persons with 1 or more of the common mental disorders had sought help in the 12 months prior to interview. The point prevalence for mental health problems was 14% for persons aged 4 to 17 years. The point prevalence for psychotic disorders was 4.7 per 1000. An encouraging finding is that 81% of affected individuals had been to their general practitioner (GP) in the last year. However, only 20% had participated in any rehabilitation program in the past year. Conclusions: The Survey results are based on a national population sample, not on individuals reaching services. They have therefore proved to be of great value in influencing policy at federal and state levels and may have contributed to increased funding for both services and research.

Social phobia in the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being (NSMHWB)

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 637-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. LAMPE ◽  
T. SLADE ◽  
C. ISSAKIDIS ◽  
G. ANDREWS
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Social Phobia ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Health And Well Being

Background. This article reports data on social phobia from the first large scale Australian epidemiological study. Prevalence rates, demographic correlates and co-morbidity in the sample that met criteria for social phobia are reported and gender differences examined.Method. Data were obtained from a stratified sample of 10641 participants as part of the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being (NSMHWB). A modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to determine the presence of social phobia, as well as other DSM-IV anxiety, affective and substance use disorders. The interview also screened for the presence of nine ICD-10 personality disorders, including anxious personality disorder, the equivalent of DSM-IV avoidant personality disorder (APD).Results. The estimated 12 month prevalence of social phobia was 2·3%, lower than rates reported in several recent nationally representative epidemiological surveys and closer to those reported in the Epidemiological Catchment Area study (ECA) and other DSM-III studies. Considerable co-morbidity was identified. Data indicated that the co-morbidity with depression and alcohol abuse and dependence were generally subsequent to onset of social phobia and that the additional diagnosis of APD was associated with a greater burden of affective disorder. Social phobia most often preceded major depression, alcohol abuse and generalized anxiety disorder.Conclusions. Social phobia is a highly prevalent, highly co-morbid disorder in the Australian community. Individuals with social phobia who also screen positively for APD appear to be at greater risk of co-morbidity with all surveyed disorders except alcohol abuse or dependence.

The performance of the K6 and K10 screening scales for psychological distress in the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. FURUKAWA ◽  
R. C. KESSLER ◽  
T. SLADE ◽  
G. ANDREWS
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Mood And Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Better Than

Background. Two new screening scales for psychological distress, the K6 and K10, have been developed but their relative efficiency has not been evaluated in comparison with existing scales.Method. The Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being, a nationally representative household survey, administered the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to assess 30-day DSM-IV disorders. The K6 and K10 were also administered along with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the current de facto standard of mental health screening. Performance of the three screening scales in detecting CIDI/DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders was assessed by calculating the areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs). Stratum-Specific Likelihood Ratios (SSLRs) were computed to help produce individual-level predicted probabilities of being a case from screening scale scores in other samples.Results. The K10 was marginally better than the K6 in screening for CIDI/DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders (K10 AUC: 0·90, 95%CI: 0·89–0·91 versus K6 AUC: 0·89, 95%CI: 0·88–0·90), while both were significantly better than the GHQ-12 (AUC: 0·80, 95%CI: 0·78–0·82). The SSLRs of the K10 and K6 were more informative in ruling in or out the target disorders than those of the GHQ-12 at both ends of the population spectrum. The K6 was more robust than the K10 to subsample variation.Conclusions. While the K10 might outperform the K6 in screening for severe disorders, the K6 is preferred in screening for any DSM-IV mood or anxiety disorder because of its brevity and consistency across subsamples. Precision of individual-level prediction is greatly improved by using polychotomous rather than dichotomous classification.

scholarly journals Building Resilience in Adolescents and Youths - The Maltese Scene

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Cachia
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Group Development ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Building Resilience ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract The Office of the Commissioner for Mental Health in Malta was established in 2011 to promote and protect rights of persons with mental disorders and their carers. This advocacy role includes monitoring of involuntary care, regular reporting on quality of care and care environments, in-depth analysis and recommendations on emerging issues such as mental health literacy, multidisciplinary care plans, drug addiction services and stigma and regular networking across ministries, agencies, departments, and NGOs, breaking silos and building bridges. Data for 2018 shows that acutely ill young people (10-29 year olds) were 30% of acute involuntary admissions. Males and foreign nationals from medium and least developed countries were more frequently represented. Substance abuse, mood disorders and psychotic disorders were the more common diagnostic groups. Building resilience and providing opportunities for early intervention are key elements of better mental health and well-being in the younger generation. Six examples of good practice in adolescent and youth mental health from Malta will be presented: Youth.inc by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ; Kellimni.com by SOS Malta; Youth Mental Health First Aid by Richmond Foundation; Research and Professional Education by ACAMH (Malta); Student Support Services at MCAST MALTA; Project Enlight! by Enlight Foundation. Two of these initiatives were recognised as best practices at European level in a peer learning exercise conducted by the Dutch Youth Institute. The recommendations are: more focused approaches towards young people with acute mental disorders with special attention to their specific needs; the identification of young people in trouble; work programmes that build resilience, life-skills and employment prospects; the intensified use of refined electronic and social media tools for promotion, prevention and early intervention; and active support and encouragement of peer group development and self-help initiatives. Key messages Networking stakeholders to break silos and build bridges. Resilience and early intervention for better mental health and well-being.

scholarly journals Sports Psychiatry. Women’s mental health in elite sports – we are missing the complexity

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Active Phase ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Competitive Sports ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Elite Sports

In competitive sports, mental health and well-being is of great significance [1]. This applies to the active phase, as well as the time after the career. Mental disorders are common in competitive sports [2]. Physical and psychological well-being and performance in sports relate to each other [2]: Emotional strains and illnesses in sport may have an influence on the performance, may increase the risk for injuries and may lengthen rehabilitation. Injuries have an influence on the performance, too, and are strains and risks for mental health. The requirements in elite sports call for a safe and sound judgement and handling with strains and risks for mental health, as well as in diagnosis and treatment on illness [1].

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