Prevalence Rates of mental disorder

The following table shows the prevalence rates (1-year) of mental disorder.

Best estimates for adults, ages 18-54. It would be helpful if a similar table was available for racial and ethnic minorities. Patterns of specific mental disorders could then be compared between each minority group and the U.S. population as a whole. Unfortunately, prevalence rates are not yet known for each mental disorder within a given minority population. The conclusion of the Surgeon General’s Report is that the prevalence of mental illness among minorities is similar to the overall rate of 21 percent across the U.S. population. A condensed table from the SGR lists mental disorders and the percentage of prevalence estimated in the U.S. population.

In developing best-estimate 1-year prevalence rates from the two studies, a conservative procedure was followed that had previously been used in an independent scientific analysis comparing these two data sets (Andrews, 1995). For any mood disorder and any anxiety disorder, the lower estimate of the two surveys was selected, which for this data was the ECA (Epidemiologic Catchment Area). The best estimate rates for the individual mood and anxiety disorders were then chosen from the ECA only, in order to maintain the relationships between the individual disorders. For other disorders that were not covered in both surveys (NCS, National Comorbidity Survey), the available estimate was used.

Table condensed from Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, DHHS, 1999.