Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders
Last update: 06/10/2008

Mental disorders are frequent in European countries.

 
 
Anxiety disorders: Generalised Anxiety (worry, tension, difficulty relaxing etc); panic attacks (sudden fear with fast heart beat, over breathing, perspiration etc);
phobias (irrational fears of crowds, transportation etc)
 
Mood disorders: Either Depression or Dysthymia or a more severe mood disorder
such as bipolar disorder
 
Substance use disorders: Alcohol abuse.
 
 

 
 
Lifetime prevalence
 
 
    Last 12 months
Any mental disorder
25.9%
11.5%
Any mood disorder
14.7%
4.5%
Any anxiety disorder
14.5%
8.4%
Any alcohol disorder
4.9%
0.7%

Data relating to the 6 ESEMeD countries
 
  • Major depression and specific phobia were the most common single mental disorders.
  • Mental disorders were more common in female, unemployed, disabled persons, or persons who were never married or previously married.
  • Younger persons were also more likely to have mental disorders, indicating an early age of onset for mood, anxiety and alcohol disorders.
 
Some differences in rates exist between participating countries.
 
Out of the 6 countries, France had the highest prevalences (e.g. 12-month prevalences of any mental disorder 18.3 %, any mood disorder 6.5 %, any anxiety 13.1 %) and Italy the lowest figures (e.g., 12-month prevalences of any mental disorder 8.4 %, any mood disorder 3.4 %, any anxiety 6.0 %).

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Used for this summary:

 

Alonso J, Lepine JP.Overview of key data from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD).
J Clin Psychiatry 2007;68(Suppl 2): 3-9

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List of Articles related to PREVALENCE OF MENTAL DISORDERS (ESEMeD and World Mental Health Surveys)

 De Girolamo G, Alonso J, Vilagut G. The ESEMeD-WMH project: strengthening epidemiological research in Europe through the study of variation in prevalence rates.
Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale (2006)

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