Mental health
1 in 6 adults have a neurotic disorder
Weekly prevalence of neurotic disorders: by sex, 2000, GB
In 2000 one in six adults in Great Britain had a neurotic disorder (such as anxiety and depression), while one in seven had considered suicide at some point in their lives. One in 200 had a psychotic disorder such as psychosis and schizophrenia.
The most common mental disorders were: mixed anxiety and depression (7 per cent for men, 11 per cent for women), anxiety (4 per cent for men, 5 per cent for women) and depression (2 per cent for men, 3 per cent for women). All neurotic disorders were more common in women than men, except for panic disorder which was equally common in both sexes.
Psychiatric disorders and suicidal attempts were more likely to occur in people facing socio-economic disadvantage: that is people with unskilled occupations or who were unemployed, who lacked formal qualifications, who were renting accommodation from a local authority or housing association, who were living alone, or were separated or divorced.
The rates of psychiatric disorders in 1993 and 2000 were similar, but the proportion of people receiving treatment increased considerably over the period. In 2000, overall 24 per cent of people received treatment compared with 14 per cent in 1993. The rise was a result of a doubling in the proportion receiving medication, from 9 per cent in 1993 to 19 per cent in 2000. The proportion receiving psychological treatment, however, remained level, at 9 per cent in 2000 – 1 percentage point higher than in 1993. The proportion of people receiving both medication and psychological treatment also remained level at 3 per cent in 1993 and 4 per cent in 2000.
Psychotic disorders, although less frequent than neurotic disorders, were more likely to be treated because of the nature and severity of the condition. In 2000, 85 per cent of people with psychosis were receiving some kind of treatment; 83 per cent medication and 40 per cent psychological treatment.
People with a psychotic disorder were also more likely to use mental health services on offer in the community and in hospitals than people with a neurotic disorder. In 2000 two in five people with a psychotic disorder had used at least one community care service (consulting a psychiatrist/psychiatric nurse, seeing social worker) in the past three months, compared with less than one in ten of people with a neurotic disorder. Likewise, more than one in five of people with a psychotic disorder had visited a psychiatric outpatient clinic compared with only one in twenty people with a neurotic disorder.
A follow up survey in 2001 showed that half of people with neurotic disorders had not recovered 18 months later. Many of the socio-economic factors associated with the prevalence of neurotic disorders were also associated with a reduced chance of clinical recovery. The survey showed that people who had received treatment over the 18 months were twice as likely to recover as the people not receiving treatment. In contrast, psychotic disorders have a more prolonged course, with relapses followed by periods of remission over many years.
Sources: Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity among Adults in Great Britain, Office for National Statistics Better or worse: a longitudinal study of the mental health of adults living in private households in Great Britain, Office for National Statistics.
printer-friendly
Focus on Health home