Notions of neurosis: a comparison of community cases with declared patients

Seven ways are discussed in which the concept of neurosis, as measured in community surveys, differs from the concept of neurosis among declared patients. These are different ratio of neurotic symptoms to dysthymic states (using Foulds' terms), the different ratio of mixed anxiety/depression to anxiety or depression alone, the duration, seriousness, and intensity of symptoms, and the two states of social dysfunction without symptoms, and symptoms without dysfunction. Attention is drawn to the need for epidemiologists and clinicians to describe neurosis on axes other than the presence or absence of symptoms alone.