Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Feb;192(2):112-7.
doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.029280.

Lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders in South Africa

Dan J Stein  1 , Soraya Seedat, Allen Herman, Hashim Moomal, Steven G Heeringa, Ronald C Kessler, David R Williams
Affiliations

Lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders in South Africa

Dan J Stein et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2008 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Data on the lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders in South Africa are of interest, not only for the purposes of developing evidence-based mental health policy, but also in view of South Africa's particular historical and demographic circumstances.

Method: A nationally representative household survey was conducted between 2002 and 2004 using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to generate diagnoses. The data-set analysed included 4351 adult South Africans of all ethnic groups.

Results: Lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV/CIDI disorders was determined for anxiety disorders (15.8%), mood disorders (9.8%), substance use disorders (13.4%) and any disorder (30.3%). Lifetime prevalence of substance use disorders differed significantly across ethnic groups. Median age at onset was earlier for substance use disorders (21 years) than for anxiety disorders (32 years) or mood disorders (37 years).

Conclusions: In comparison with data from other countries, South Africa has a particularly high lifetime prevalence of substance use disorders. These disorders have an early age at onset, providing an important target for the planning of local mental health services.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Carey PD, Stein DJ, Zungu-Dirwayi N. Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in an urban Xhosa primary care population: Prevalence, co-morbidity and service use patterns. J Nerv Ment Dis 2003 - PubMed
    1. Chisholm D, Sanderson K, Ayuso-Mateos JL, Saxena S. Reducing the global burden of depression: Population-level analysis of intervention cost-effectiveness in 14 world regions. Br J Psychiatry. 2004;164:393–403. - PubMed
    1. Demyttenaere K, Bruffaerts R, Posada-Villa J, et al. Prevalence, severity, and unmet need for treatment of mental disorders in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association. 2004;291:2581–2590. - PubMed
    1. Dunkle KL, Jewkes RR, Brown HC, Gray GE, McIntyre JA, Harlow SD. Gender-based violence, relationship power, and risk of HIV infection in women attending antenatal clinics in South Africa. Lancet. 2004;363:1415–1421. - PubMed
    1. Gureje O, Lasebikan VO, Kola L, et al. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of mental disorders in the Nigerian Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being. The British Journal Of Psychiatry: The Journal Of Mental Science. 2006;188:465–471. - PubMed

Publication types