title: A population-based survey of mental disorders in Singapore.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mental illnesses are not only a growing public health concern but also a major social and economic issue affecting individuals and families throughout the world. The prevalence of mental disorders, the extent of disability caused by these disorders, and services utilisation of these patients has been well studied in developed countries. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of select mental disorders and their associated sociodemographic correlates in the adult Singapore resident population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional, populationbased, epidemiological study of adult Singapore residents aged 18 years and above. The subjects were randomly selected using a disproportionate stratified sampling method. The diagnoses of selected mental disorders including major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymia, bipolar (bipolar I & II) disorders, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence were established using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, which is a fully structured diagnostic instrument that assesses lifetime and 12-month prevalence of mental disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 6616 respondents (response rate of 75.9%), 12.0% had at least one lifetime affective, anxiety, or alcohol use disorders. The lifetime prevalence of MDD was 5.8% and that of bipolar disorder was 1.2%. The combined lifetime prevalence of the 2 anxiety disorders, GAD and OCD was 3.6%, with the latter being more common than GAD (0.9% and 3.0% respectively). The lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence were found to be 3.1% and 0.5% respectively. Age, gender, ethnicity, marital status and chronic physical illnesses were all significant correlates of mental disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The identified associated factors would help guide resource allocation, policy formulation and programme development in Singapore.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Siow_Ann_Chong@imh.com.sg
authors.forename: Siow Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Edimansyah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdin
authors.forename: Janhavi Ajit
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vaingankar
authors.forename: Derrick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sherbourne
authors.forename: Mabel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: Yee Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Hwee Bee
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghosh-Dastidar
authors.forename: Kian Woon
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Mythily
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008296:Malaysia / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult