Prevalence of psychiatric disorder in the general population: results of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS)

This article reports the initial results of a prospective study on the prev alence of psychiatric disorders in the Dutch population aged 18-64. The obj ectives and the design of the study are described elsewhere in this issue. A total of 7076 people were interviewed in person in 1996. The presence of the following disorders was determined by means of the CIDI: mood disorders , anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and other non-affectiv e psychoses, and substance use disorders. Psychiatric disorders were found to be quite common. Some 41.2% of the adult population under 65 had experie nced at least one DSM-III-R disorder in their lifetime, among them 23.3% wi thin the preceding year. No gender differences were found in overall morbid ity. Depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse and dependence were most preval ent, and there was a high degree of comorbidity between them. The prevalenc e rate encountered for schizophrenia was lower (0.4% lifetime) than general ly presumed. A comparison With findings from other countries is made. Relev ant determinants of psychiatric morbidity were analysed.