Background. The German National Health Interview and Examination Survey (GHS) is the first government mandated nationwide study to investigate jointly the prevalence of somatic and mental disorders within one study in the general adult population in Germany. This paper reports results from its Mental Health Supplement (GHS-MHS) on 4-week 12-month, and selected lifetime prevalence of a broad range of DSM-IV mental disorders, their co-morbidity and correlates in the community.Methods. The sample of the GHS-MHS (n=4181; multistage stratified random sample drawn from population registries; conditional response rate: 87·6%) can be regarded as representative for the German population aged 18–65. Diagnoses are based on fully structured computer assisted clinical interviews (M-CIDI), conducted by clinically trained interviewers.Results. 12-month prevalence for any DSM-IV study disorder is 31% (lifetime: 43%; 4-week: 20%) with anxiety disorders, mood disorders and somatoform syndromes being the most frequent diagnoses. Retrospective age of onset information reveals that most disorders begin early in life. Co-morbidity rates among mental disorders range from 44% to 94%. Correlates of increased rates of mental disorders and co-morbidity were: female gender (except for substance disorders), not being married, low social class, and poor somatic health status. Health care utilization for mental disorders depended on co-morbidity (30% in ‘pure’, 76% in highly co-morbid cases) and varied from 33% for substance use disorders to 75% for panic disorder.Conclusions. Results confirm and extend results from other national studies using the same assessment instruments with regard to prevalence, co-morbidity and sociodemographic correlates, covering a broader range of DSM-IV disorders [i.e. somatoform disorders, all anxiety disorders (except PTSD), mental disorders due to substance or general medical factor, eating disorders]. Intervention rates were higher than in previous studies, yet still low overall.

ResumenLa fobia social se reconoce cada vez más corno un trastorno mental común y causa de deficiencias sociales. Sin embargo, se dispone de pocos datos con respecto a las deficiencias y discapacidades generales y específicas a la enfermedad asociadas con la fobia social. Además, la mayoría de los estudios no han controlado los efectos de confusión de las condiciones comórbidas. Este estudio investiga: (a) la calidad genérica de vida, (b) la productividad laboral y (c) diversas deficiencias sociales específicas al trastorno en casos actuales con fobia social pura (n = 65), comórbida (n = 51) y subumbral (n = 34) del DSM-IV, en comparación con controles sin fobia social (sujetos con historia de infecciones por herpes). Los casos de fobia social comunicaron una duración media de la enfermedad de 22,9 años, con comienzo en la infancia o la adolescencia. La calidad actual de vida, evaluada por la SF-36, estaba significativamente reducida en todos los grupos de fobia social, particularmente en las escalas que miden la vitalidad, la salud general, la salud mental, las limitaciones de rol debidas a la salud emocional y el funcionamiento social. Los casos comórbidos revelaron reducciones más graves que los casos con fobia social pura y subumbral. Los resultados de la Escala de autoevaluación de la deficiencia de Liebowitz indicaron que: (a) la fobia social afecta a la mayor parte de las áreas de la vida, pero en particular a la educación, la carrera y las relaciones amorosas; (b) la presencia de condiciones comórbidas pasadas y actuales aumenta la frecuencia de las deficiencias específicas a la enfermedad, y (c) la fobia social subumbral reveló deficiencias globales ligeramente más bajas que las que se daban en los pacientes con fobia social comórbida. La productividad laboral durante la semana anterior de los pacientes con fobia social estaba significativamente disminuida, como indicaron: (a) una tasa tres veces más alta de casos en desempleo, (b) tasas elevadas de horas de trabajo perdidas debido a problemas de fobia social y (c) un rendimiento laboral reducido. En conjunto, estos resultados subrayan que la fobia social, sea comórbida, subumbral o pura, era una condición persistente y causa de deficiencias en nuestra muestra de adultos, que se traducía en un sufrimiento subjetivo considerable y tenía un efecto negativo en el rendimiento laboral y las relaciones sociales. Las discapacidades y deficiencias actuales eran normalmente menos pronunciadas que en el pasado, debido presumiblemente a conductas adaptativas en el estilo de vida de las personas que respondieron a las pruebas. Los datos confirmaron también que el sistema de salud mental reconoce mal la fobia social y la trata con poca frecuencia.

AbstractThis paper introduces the Composite International Diagnostic – Screener (CID–S) for mental disorders, a 12‐item self‐report questionnaire that is based on core diagnostic questions from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for the assessment of DSM‐IV and ICD‐10 disorders (CIDI) for use in two‐stage epidemiological designs. Data are reported relating to the performance of the CID–S in a two‐stage study of a random sample of 1095 respondents, using a wide range of DSM‐IV/CIDI diagnoses (somatoform, anxiety, depressive, other affective, and substance‐use disorders). In the first stage, all subjects filled out the screening instrument. Seven to 30 days later trained clinical interviewers administered the computer‐assisted full CIDI. The CID–S had an overall sensitivity of 85.3% (range for specific diagnoses 74.7% for alcohol use disorders to 100% for panic disorders) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 92.0% (range 91.0%–100%) for any current (12‐month) diagnosis and similar values for lifetime disorders (80.7%, NPV: 85.1%). Likelihood for a DSM‐IV diagnosis increased steadily from 10.5% among screen negatives, to 24.9% among those endorsing one screening item to 100% among those endorsing more than eight of the screening items. The performance of the individual CID–S items overall was good, except for three disorders: agoraphobia, somatoform disorders and substance use disorders. Overall, the CID–S was found to be a time‐efficient diagnostic screening tool for most mental disorders (except for some somatoform and substance use disorders), when used in a two‐stage design with a two to 12 week interval between investigations. Copyright © 1999 Whurr Publishers, Ltd.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The paper informs about methods and field survey procedures used in the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey--Mental Health Supplement (GHS-MHS)--and provides 12-month prevalence estimates of affective, anxiety and somatoform disorders in the general population. Such data have previously not been available for Germany on a nationwide level.METHODS:Findings are based on a two-stage design: In the first stage all the 7124 participants of the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey (core survey) completed the Composite International Diagnostic-Screener (CIDS) for mental disorders. In the second stage 4181 probands (all screen-positive and a random sample of 50% of the screen-negative subjects) were interviewed with the full Composite International Diagnostic Interview (DIA-X-M-CIDI) by clinical interviewers. The overall response rate was 87.6%.RESULTS:Affective (12-months prevalence estimate: 6.3%), anxiety (9%) and somatoform disorders (7.5%) are widespread in all age groups (18 to 65 years) of the German population; women are significantly more often affected than men. The prevalence rates of somatoform and affective disorders were found to be significantly lower in the former East German Länder as compared to the former West, whereas no such difference was found with regard to anxiety disorders. All disorders resulted in considerable reduction of work productivity during the past month; affective disorders reported on average 1.3 days/month total impairment and 7.2 days/month partial impairment, indicated significantly higher reduction in work productivity than anxiety and somatoform disorders.CONCLUSIONS:Affective, somatoform and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent mental disorders (total: 17.3%) in the German population. The result of a lower morbidity of affective and somatoform disorders in former East Germany was unexpected and requires further clarification. The findings on impairment of work productivity emphasize the economic impact of psychiatric disorders on society.

Social phobia is increasingly recognized as a prevalent and socially impairing mental disorder. However, little data is available regarding the general and disease-specific impairments and disabilities associated with social phobia. Furthermore, most studies have not controlled for the confounding effects of comorbid conditions. This study investigates: (a) the generic quality of life; (b) work productivity; and, (c) various other disorder-specific social impairments in current cases with pure (n = 65), comorbid (n = 51) and subthreshold (n = 34) DSM-IV social phobia as compared to controls with no social phobia (subjects with a history of herpes infections). Social phobia cases reported a mean illness duration of 22.9 years with onset in childhood or adolescence. Current quality of life, as assessed by the SF-36, was significantly reduced in all social phobia groups, particularly in the scales measuring vitality, general health, mental health, role limitations due to emotional health, and social functioning. Comorbid cases revealed more severe reductions than pure and subthreshold social phobics. Findings from the Liebowitz self-rated disability scale indicated that: (a) social phobia affects most areas of life, but in particular education, career, and romantic relationship; (b) the presence of past and current comorbid conditions increases the frequency of disease-specific impairments; and, (c) subthreshold social phobia revealed slightly lower overall impairments than comorbid social phobics. Past week work productivity of social phobics was significantly diminished as indicated by: (a) a three-fold higher rate of unemployed cases; (b) elevated rates of work hours missed due to social phobia problems; and, (c) a reduced work performance. Overall, these findings underline that social phobia in our sample of adults, whether comorbid, subthreshold, or pure was a persisting and impairing condition, resulting in considerable subjective suffering and negative impact on work performance and social relationships. The current disabilities and impairments were usually less pronounced than in the past, presumably due to adaptive behaviors in life style of the respondents. Data also confirmed that social phobia is poorly recognized and rarely treated by the mental health system.

The paper examines the influence of attitudes and behaviors (illness behavior) in a community sample of depressed cases on the probability of professional recognition and treatment. Particular emphasis is laid upon the identification of a pattern of atypical depression and associated symptoms, believed to be particular frequent among young. This pattern has been labeled >> Sisi-syndrome << referring to medical history research, that suspect that >>Kaiserin Elisabeth< (>$$) over bar>Sisi<<, 1837-1898) had suffered from an unrecognized depressive: illness, characterized besides others by:increased activities and the denial of depressed mood. By using an epidemiological data set of 5131 subjects from general population surveys in Germany the paper examines to what degree such atypical presentations are frequent manifestations and. whether they-explain poor recognition and treatment rates. After controlling for potential confounding variables (severity, course, comorbidity; age, etc) findings,reveal that atypical symptoms, behaviors, and attitudes described in the >>Sisi-construct<< are indeed associated significantly with low treatment rates. Using clusteranalytic methods, a stable and homogenous, almost prototypical >>Sisi-cluster<< of predominantly young. women with major depression, and another less stable cluster of older women was identified, both characterized by very low treatment rates. For males a less stable and less homogenous,>>Sisi-cluster<< was found. Overall about one third of all depressed in the community were assigned to one of these >>Sisi clusters<<. It is concluded,that patient variables and more generally the illness behavior are. important variables in explaining the mechanisms involved in underrecognition of depressive disorders. The >>Sisi-variables<< identified might be useful as simple targets for programs aiming at improvement of poor recognition,in primary care and might facilitate the design of mere sensitive questionnaires.