Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of 12-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

Abstract

Community epidemiological surveys estimate that as many as 30% of the adult population in the United States meet criteria for a 12-month DSM mental disorder.^1,2 Clinical reappraisal studies confirm these estimates.³ Although fewer than half these people receive treatment,^4,5 unmet need for treatment may not be a major problem, because a high proportion of untreated cases might be mild or self-limiting. However, no definitive epidemiological data exist on this possibility, because severity has not been a focus of previous psychiatric epidemiological surveys. Although secondary analysis of surveys in the United States⁶ and other countries^7,8 suggests that many 12-month cases are mild, this conclusion is based on crude post hoc severity indicators.