Background. This paper describes the Household Survey
from
the National Survey of Psychiatric
Morbidity. This covered a sample drawn at random from the population of
Britain, with the
exception of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Methods. The Postcode Address file was used as the sampling
frame.
Nearly 13000 adults aged
16–65 were selected for interview, of whom 10108 (79·4%) were
successfully interviewed. Eight per
cent could not be contacted and 13% refused interview. Psychiatric
assessment was carried out by
lay interviewers using the CIS-R. Subjects were also screened for
psychosis, and screen-positive
individuals were examined by psychiatrists using SCAN.
Results. Sixteen per cent of subjects scored above the
standard cut-off of 12 on the CIS-R. The
overall 1-week prevalence of neurotic disorder was 12·3% in males
and
19·5% in females.
Unmarried and post-marital groups had high rates of disorder, as did single
parents and people
living on their own. Respondents in Social Class I had notably lower
rates of neurotic disorder than
the remainder of the sample. Unemployment was strongly associated with
disorder. Subjects living
in urban areas had a higher overall prevalence, but there was no significant
variation by region.
Black respondents had higher rates of disorders that were entirely
explained by their age, family
type and social class. Individual neurotic disorders were all significantly
commoner in women, with
the exception of panic disorder. The 1-year prevalence of functional
psychoses was 4 per 1000, with
no sex difference. Alcohol and drug dependence was considerably more
prevalent in men.
Conclusions. For the first time, the survey provides data on
the
prevalence and correlates of
psychiatric disorder on a nationwide sample that can be used to inform
equitable and effective national psychiatric services.