THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL-FACTORS AND MENTAL-HEALTHIN FINLAND

The aim of the study was to examine the social and economic variables associated with mental health by means of telephone interviews of a ra ndomly chosen population sample (n = 1557) in Finland in 1993. Mental health was evaluated by means of a 12-item General Health Questionnair e. A mental disorder, indicated by the GHQ score, was detected in 18.3 % of the interviewees. Mental disorders were more common in women than in men. Other factors associated with a mental disorder were unemploy ment, financial difficulties and insufficient social support from othe r people. Mental disorders, indicated by the GHQ score, were common in the long-term unemployed, users of hypnotics and sedatives, and in th ose who were uncertain about their future. In stepwise logistic regres sion analyses the statistically independent associates with impaired m ental health were suicidal thoughts, receiving of housing allowance an d female sex. On the other hand, being on salary was a protective fact or.