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Depression in the general population: comparability of survey results.
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Craig, Thomas Brown, George W. Harris, Tirril O. |
| Copyright Year | 1987 |
| Abstract | Bebbington (1986) draws attention to a possible cause for concern regarding the comparability of recent epidemiological research utilising the PSE ID-CATEGO system of psychiatric caseness deter mination. In taking issue with our observation that cases in our recent community survey (Brown et a!, 1985) were broadly similar in terms of severity to those reported in a recent series of out-patients (Sashidharan, 1985), he makes the point that such conclusions are only justifiable when it can be con fidently assumed that thresholds for symptom in clusion are applied uniformly between research centres. He argues that this assumption may well be invalid and marshalls two arguments to suggest that the Bedford team may have adopted less stringent rating thresholds. Firstly, he draws attention to the very different population prevalences of disorder reported in recent surveys, contrasting one-year prevalence figures for the Bedford College survey in Islington (Brown elal,1985)withthelowerrates reported for other investigations in Edinburgh (Dean eta!, 1983) and Camberwell (Bebbington eta!, 1981). Secondly, he reminds us of the body of evidence which suggests that psychiatrists operate stricter criteria for PSE symptoms than their lay colleagues (Wing eta!, 1977a; Sturt eta!, 1981). Before taking these arguments and their implicit conclusion too seriously, however, a number of qualifications are in order. Regarding the first argu ment, we would wish to add that before attempting a comparison of overall prevalence rates, attention ought to be directed at ensuring that like is compared with like, in terms of both the general characteristics of the populations concerned and the period over which symptoms have been collected in order to determine caseness. The composition of the Islington survey was deliberately weighted in favour of a specific subgroup of the general population (working-class women with children living at home) who were expected to manifest a particularly high prevalence of psychiatric disorder, and consequently any attempt to compare rates of disorder between this and other surveys must begin by identifying and extracting data for similar groups ofwomen (in terms of class position and parenthood). Each centre, having utilised the PSE, has available a measure of symptoms present in the month prior to interview (i.e. that are generated by the use of the PSE in its most simple form), and we would argue that it is this data which should be used as the starting point when comparing rates between centres, as it is less open to the effects of problems of recall, or those which might result from local modifications. The Bedford College |
| Starting Page | 8 |
| Ending Page | 8 |
| Page Count | 1 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/71AFF3597476ED27EF6CA5565390378C/S0007125000123402a.pdf/depression_in_the_general_population_comparability_of_survey_results.pdf |
| PubMed reference number | 3651712v1 |
| Volume Number | 150 |
| Journal | The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Assumed Depressive disorder Entity Name Part Qualifier - adopted Epidemiology Mental disorders Patients Statistical Prevalence Subgroup A Nepoviruses |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
