Regional differences in mental health in Great Britain.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to study the pattern and magnitude of regional differences in psychiatric morbidity and compare these with regional differences in all cause mortality.


METHODS
The study was a secondary analysis of data from a cross sectional survey. The main outcome was the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity. This was assessed using the general health questionnaire, a self administered measure of neurotic symptoms.


METHODS
England, Wales and Scotland.


METHODS
9003 adults were selected from the electoral register.


RESULTS
The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was 31% with a statistically significant difference between the regions (p = 0.006). All four northern regions of England had a higher prevalence of psychiatric morbidity than the four southern regions. These differences were comparable in size to the regional differences in all cause mortality. Scotland had low psychiatric morbidity but high all cause mortality while Greater London had high psychiatric morbidity but low mortality. Regional variation in psychiatric morbidity was less marked within social classes I and II and among those living in urban areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric morbidity is common and is an important public health problem. Regions with relatively high psychiatric morbidity did not always have relatively high mortality. Knowledge of the causes of these regional differences could ultimately lead to preventive action and be important when distributing health service resources.
Lewis
G
G
Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom.
Booth
M
M
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008603:Mental Health; D009017:Morbidity; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology