Psychiatric symptoms, social disability, low wellbeing and need for treatment: data from a population-based study

Identifying need for treatment due to mental problems is necessary for rational health care planning. The aim of this study was to study reports of psychiatric symptoms, social disability and low wellbeing as indicators of meetable need of care.

An extensive questionnaire was sent out to a representative adult population in Stockholm, Sweden. Psychiatric symptom scales, social disabilities due to psychological distress and wellbeing were included. Of the 10,442 persons that answered 1093 were interviewed by psychiatrists. Meetable need of care was assessed and psychiatric diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV.

Reports of psychiatric symptoms, social disabilities and low wellbeing were all associated with being female, younger, single, manual work and unemployed. Somatic disorders, a lower degree of social network and more negative life events were also associated. Of the interviewees persons with low wellbeing had the highest risk for being regarded as having meetable need of care. Additionally they were more likely to fulfil the criteria for a psychiatric disorder according to DSM-IV.

Persons with low wellbeing had a higher risk of having meetable need of care than persons with psychiatric symptoms and/or social disabilities had.