National Comorbidity Study

The National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) was the first large-scale field survey of mental health in the United States. Conducted from 1990-1992, disorders were assessed based on the diagnostic criteria of the then-most current DSM manual, the DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised).[1] The study has had large-scale implications on mental health research in the United States, as no widespread data on the prevelence of mental illness was previously available.

Additional recommended knowledge

Daily Sensitivity Test

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Daily Visual Balance Check

Most notable findings

-The lifetime prevalence of at least 1 mental disorder: 48%

-12 month prevalence of at least 1 mental disorder: 29%

-Comorbidity: Of the people who experience mental illness in their lifetime (48% of pop), 27% will experience more than one. The resulting average is 2.1 mental disorders per (disordered) person.

-Only 40% of people who had ever had a disorder received professional treatment.

-Only 20% of people who had a disorder within the past year received professional help.

External links

• http://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/index.php
• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/qanda_ncs-r.cfm
• http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/SAMHDA-STUDY/06693.xml