Women's mental health worsening, says report from The NHS Information Centre

Women's mental health is worsening with more of them suffering depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts, says a report from The NHS Information Centre (NHS IC) today.

The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2007 was carried out for The NHS IC by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) in collaboration with the University of Leicester and provides data on the prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorder among those aged 16 and over in England.

It examines the prevalence of key conditions such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, gambling and drug and alcohol misuse across gender, age, ethnic group, marital status and adjusted household income.

Across all conditions, the survey showed nearly one in four people (23 per cent) in England experience at least one psychiatric disorder and that those affected were more likely to have a lower adjusted household income. The report showed:

  • The proportion of women (aged 16 to 64) suffering a common mental disorder (CMD) – typically, depression or anxiety – increased from 19.1 per cent in 1993 to 21.5 per cent (one in five of the adult female population) in 2007. The rate in men did not change significantly.
  • The largest increase in rate of CMD between 1993 and 2007 was observed in women aged 45-64, among whom the rate rose by about a fifth.
  • The proportion of women (aged 16-74) reporting suicidal thoughts in the previous year increased from 4.2 per cent in 2000 to 5.5 per cent in 2007.

The report is the latest in a series of surveys which took place previously in 1993 and 2000. For the first time in the series, the 2007 survey covered people aged 75 and over and provides the first national research on the prevalence of psychiatric disorder in older people living in private households.

It showed that among over 75s, CMDs were higher among women than among men (12.2 per cent of women and 6.3 per cent of men).

The 2007 survey also includes three disorders that have never been measured in a household survey across the English adult population before: eating disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It also includes information about gambling for the first time.

On eating disorder:

  • 6.4 per cent of people showed signs of an eating disorder.
  • Men made up a quarter of those showing signs of the disorder.
  • People in older age bands were less likely to show signs of an eating disorder.
  • High rates of disordered eating were found among both people who were underweight and overweight.

On ADHD:

  • 8.2 per cent of the adult population showed signs of ADHD.
  • While research shows that childhood ADHD is more likely to be diagnosed among boys than among girls, the survey showed no significant difference in the prevalence of the condition among adult men and women.

On trauma and PTSD:

  • A third of people have experienced a trauma in adulthood, 35.2 per cent of men and 31.5 per cent of women. However men and women did not differ significantly in the likelihood of screening positive for PTSD in the week prior to interview - 2.6 per cent of men and 3.3 per cent of women

On gambling:

  • Overall, 65.9 per cent of adults spent money gambling in the past year.
  • 70.8 per cent of men had gambled, compared to 61.3 per cent of women.
  • The highest rate for gambling in the year prior to the survey among men was among those aged 25 to 34 (75.4 per cent). The highest rate among women was among those aged 55 to 64 (69.5 per cent).

Chief executive of The NHS Information Centre Tim Straughan said: “The report suggests that women's mental health has been worsening in recent times.

“For men, the picture is less clear and there appears to have been no significant statistical change in common mental disorders. “The findings from this report will greatly improve our understanding of the position and trends in adult mental health, including women being affected in increasing numbers.

“In addition, the report looks for the first time at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. The impact of gambling and how it is affecting different population groups in different ways is also included in this report for the first time, although is acknowledged that it has been the subject of specific studies in the past.”

The full report is at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/psychiatricmorbidity07

ENDS

Notes to editors

  1. The NHS Information Centre (The NHS IC) is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with more than 300 health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS Information Centre also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
  2. The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 is the third survey of psychiatric morbidity among adults living in private households. The previous surveys were carried out by ONS in 1993 and 2000.
  3. The survey involved a two-phase approach. The first phase interviews included structured assessments to diagnostic criteria and screening instruments for mental disorders, as well as questions about topics such as general health, service use, risk factors and demographics. The second phase interviews were carried out by clinically trained research interviewers. The assessment of conditions such as psychosis and personality disorder required a more detailed and flexible interview than was possible at the first phase and the use of some clinical judgement in ascertaining a diagnosis.
  4. 13,171 households were approached and 7,461 people responded to the survey.
  5. Each of the main mental disorders and behaviours covered by separate chapters of the report and include prevalence by age, sex, ethnicity and marital status, region and the level and nature of the treatment and service use. Where the disorder was also covered in the 1993 and 2000 surveys, the change in rate is also covered.
  6. A psychiatric disorder can be one of the following 15 disorders and behaviours: generalised anxiety disorder, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depressive episode, panic disorder, phobia, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, psychotic disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorder, problem gambling, and suicide attempt in the past year.
  7. Adjusted (or equivalised) household income is a measure which adjusts the income level of a household to take account of the number of people living in the household
  8. For media enquiries please call 0845 257 6990 or contact: