Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104590

Chih-Yin Hsiao and Tung-liang Chiang. Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Room 1519 No 1 Sec 1 Jen-Ai Road, Taipei, Taiwan, 886-935925402, d91845003@ntu.edu.tw

Context - Common mental disorders, dominated by anxiety, depression or a combination of both, are the major of the burden of mental illness in the community, but their links with social position in the general population have been less clear.

Objective - To examine the social pattern of common mental disorders in Taiwan.

Design - Data came from the 1995 Taiwan Social Change Survey of 2,075 nationally representative samples.

Main outcome measure - Prevalence of common mental disorders as measured by using the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12) with a cut-off score of 4 as positive response.

Results - Of the study population, 10.4% had common mental disorders, though the prevalence was considerably higher for women than for men. (13.0% versus 8.0%). Importantly, there were socioeconomic differentials in the prevalence of common mental disorders in Taiwan; those with lower family incomes, lower educational attainment, and unemployment status were more likely to have common mental disorders. However, after the adjustment for self-rated health by using logistical regression analysis, only had family incomes a bearing on the prevalence of common mental disorders for women (Odd ratio=1.65, 95%CI=1.05-2.59).

Conclusion –The prevalence of common mental disorders are more frequent in socially disadvantaged populations in Taiwan.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the prevalence of common mental disorder in Taiwan.
• analyze the relationship between socioeconomic factor and prevalence of common mental disorders

Keywords: Health Disparities, Mental Disorders

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.