Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
Self-rated general health and psychiatric disorders in a general population sample
Ulrich John1, Christian Meyer, Hans-Jürgen Rumpf
1Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 48, 17487 Greifswald, Germany. ujohn@uni-greifswald.de
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between nicotine and alcohol dependence, depressive, anxiety and somatoform disorders with self-rated general health (GH). A cohort study of a random sample of the non-institutionalised general population aged 18-64 with a participation rate of 70.2% was carried out in a German area (n = 4075 at baseline). A follow-up of tobacco smokers or heavy drinkers (n = 1083, 79.4% of those who had given consent to be followed-up) was conducted 30 months after baseline measurement. The assessments included self-ratings of GH and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) diagnoses based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The results show that nicotine dependence, anxiety disorders and somatoform disorders moderately predicted self-rated GH at follow-up (general linear model, R(2) = 0.12). We conclude that psychiatric disorders may contribute to the prediction of a low self-rated GH.
Related Concept Videos
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System II: Health Perception Pattern
Health Perception Patterns
Health perception patterns offer valuable insights into a patient's lifestyle habits and how they may impact their GI health. These patterns include:
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Self-Report Tests of Personality