Methodological innovations in the National Survey of American Life.
This paper provides an overview of the conceptualization and methods used in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). The objectives of the NSAL are to investigate the nature, severity, and impairment of mental disorders among national samples of the black and non-Hispanic white (n = 1,006) populations in the US, including African American (N = 3,570), and Afro-Caribbean (N = 1,623) immigrant and second and older generation, populations. National multi-stage probability methods were used in generating the samples and race/ethnic matching of interviewers and respondents were employed in the largely face-to-face interview, lasting on average 2 hours and 20 minutes. Two methodological approaches are described for addressing sampling coverage of individuals attached to, but not residing in, selected households at the time of the study. The paper also describes two approaches used to address concerns about the interpretations of standard symptom probe information in assessing serious mental disorders. This included a clinical reappraisal study designed to ascertain differences in symptom responding and ascertainment of cases (N = 677) in a subset of the same NSAL respondents. Finally, an abbreviated, novel method for estimating the prevalence of mental disorders in first-degree family members is described and the preliminary results from this new approach are reported.
Jackson
James S
JS
Research Center for Group Dynamics, University of Michigan, USA. jamessj@umich.edu
Neighbors
Harold W
HW
Nesse
Randolph M
RM
Trierweiler
Steven J
SJ
Torres
Myriam
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States; D014900:West Indies / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
Psychol Med. 1982 Nov;12(4):855-70
7156256
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Jul;42(7):657-66
4015307
Behav Genet. 2001 May;31(3):243-73
11699599
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2000 Jul;57(7):675-82
10891038
Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2004;13(4):196-207
15719528
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1977 Oct;34(10):1229-35
911222
Psychol Med. 1999 Sep;29(5):1021-7
10576295
J Health Soc Behav. 2003 Sep;44(3):237-56
14582306
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994 Jan;51(1):8-19
8279933
Am Sociol Rev. 1966 Apr;31(2):218-22
5910069
JAMA. 2003 Jun 18;289(23):3095-105
12813115
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1992 Aug;49(8):624-9
1637252
Annu Rev Psychol. 1989;40:45-81
2648982
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2003 Jun;38(6):290-6
12799778
Psychol Med. 2002 Jul;32(5):829-42
12171377
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1997 Jan;32(1):5-11
9029981
J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000 Feb;68(1):171-5
10710852
Am J Psychiatry. 2000 Aug;157(8):1243-51
10910786
Community Ment Health J. 1989 Winter;25(4):301-11
2697490
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981 Apr;38(4):381-9
6260053