Rates of common mental disorder, including depression and anxiety,
have not increased in recent years, according to
new
research published in the June issue of the
British Journal
of Psychiatry.
The study, carried out by researchers from the
University of Leicester, UCL (University College London) and King’s
College London, contradicts anecdotal concerns that the prevalence
of mental disorder is on the rise.
The researchers used data from three British
Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys, carried out in 1993, 2000 and
2007, to monitor changes in the rates of mental health disorders in
England over the 15 year period. There were 8,670 survey
participants in 1993, 6,977 participants in 2000 and 6,815
participants in 2007.
The researchers found almost no change in the
rate of common mental disorder across the 15-year period for women.
It affected 18.1% of women in 1993, 18.5% in 2000 and 18.9% in
2007. However in men, the rate of common mental health disorder was
slightly higher in 2000 (12.6%) than in 1993 (10.9%) or 2007
(11.8%).
The researchers did identify an increase in
sleep problems among women over the 15-year period. In 1993, sleep
problems affected 28.4% of women, rising to 34.7% in 2000 and 36.7%
in 2007. But there was no clear increase for other symptoms such as
irritability, worry or fatigue among women or men.
The study participants were divided into 9
birth cohorts, which also allowed the researchers to analyse data
for each cohort as they aged across the 15-year period. The
researchers found that men in the cohort born in 1950-6 had higher
rates of common mental disorder than men born in the previous
cohort of 1943-9, by around a third. But after this, the rates of
common mental disorder in subsequent cohorts remained stable. The
researchers believe this may be due to changes in society and
people’s lifestyles at that time.
Professor Terry Brugha, Professor of
Psychiatry at the University of Leicester, said: “We found that men
born in 1950-1956 were the first birth cohort to experience higher
rates of disorder. These men were towards the beginning of the
baby-boom generation and were teenagers during the 1960s. They were
among the first to experience teenage culture, both home grown and
imported from the USA, including greater exposure to harmful
substances. This may have made their transition to adulthood
different to that of previous generations.”
The researchers found more mixed trends among
women. Again, those born in 1950-1956 had a slightly higher
prevalence of common neurotic disorder, sleep problems and worry
than those born in the 1943-1949 cohort. However, the difference
between the two age groups was less pronounced than among the
men.
Professor Brugha concluded: “Overall, we found
little evidence that the prevalence of common mental disorder,
which includes depression and anxiety disorders, is increasing in
England. Our finding of stable rates contradicts popular media
stories of a relentlessly rising tide of mental illness.”
For further information, please
contact:
Liz Leicester
or Deborah Hart in the Communications
Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
References:
Spiers N, Bebbington P, McManus S, Brugha TS, Jenkins R and Meltzer H. Age and birth cohort differences in the prevalence of common mental disorder in England: the National Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys, 1993-2007. British Journal of Psychiatry 2011; 198: 479-484