title: Prevalence of psychiatric disorder in the general population: results of The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS).
abstract: This article reports the initial results of a prospective study on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the Dutch population aged 18-64. The objectives and the design of the study are described elsewhere in this issue. A total of 7076 people were interviewed in person in 1996. The presence of the following disorders was determined by means of the CIDI: mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and other non-affective psychoses, and substance use disorders. Psychiatric disorders were found to be quite common. Some 41.2% of the adult population under 65 had experienced at least one DSM-III-R disorder in their lifetime, among them 23.3% within the preceding year. No gender differences were found in overall morbidity. Depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse and dependence were most prevalent, and there was a high degree of comorbidity between them. The prevalence rate encountered for schizophrenia was lower (0.4% lifetime) than generally presumed. A comparison with findings from other countries is made. Relevant determinants of psychiatric morbidity were analysed.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Trimbos-Instituut, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Bijl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Zessen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology