It is difficult to know exactly how many people experience mental health problems as not everyone experiencing such difficulties will seek or receive treatment. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has undertaken a number of surveys looking at psychiatric morbidity in the general and in specific populations across Great Britain and England. For prevalence of mental health problems in the general population, the 2000 psychiatric morbidity survey of adults living in private households in Great Britain obtained information on the following mental health problems:

This page summarises the key findings of the ONS surveys, excluding alcohol and drug use and dependence (see the section on Drug Misuse). Associated datasets are available below.

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The psychiatric morbidity survey of adults (aged 16-to-74) living in private households found that:

Differences in the prevalence rates of common mental health problems in men and women were reported, with women exhibiting higher rates than men overall (in London, 22.4% compared with 14.0%). In contrast, men in London had higher levels of generalised anxiety disorder (6.8% compared with 3.8%) and depressive episodes (4.0% compared with 3.2%). However, across Great Britain women had higher rates of all types of mental health problems than men, except for panic disorder (a prevalence of 0.7% in men and women) (1). Other research has shown that in general populations, women are at a higher risk of depression than men, and that these differences begin to emerge between the ages 13-to-15, with greater differences being demonstrated between 15 and 18 years (2).

Based on these figures, it is estimated that approximately 385,000 men and 620,000 women in London aged 16-to-74 year old would have had a common mental health problem in 2003 at any one time. Further, 199,000 adults would have experienced a depressive episode at any one time. These figures exclude adults in hospital or in prison (see Use of Services and Treatments and Crime & Criminal Justice).

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The ONS survey of adults living in private households defined psychotic disorders as one of a number of disorders under the ICD-10 categories of 'schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders' and affective disorders such a manic episodes and bipolar affective disorder. It excludes depressive episodes and disorders unless there is a psychotic element. It found that 0.5% of those surveyed were thought to have experienced a psychotic disorder in the last year (0.4% in London). Using ONS population estimates this equates to approximately 22,000 London residents in 2003. Further analysis of the national data found that:

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The ONS survey reported prevalence rates of personality disorders of 5.4% for men and 3.4% for women, with the most prevalent type of personality disorder being obsessive-compulsive. These figures were not published by region, however based on national prevalence figures it is estimated that in London in 2003 there were 149,000 men and 94,000 women with a personality disorder at any one time.

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Analysis of injuries and accidents in London shows that London has lower mortality from suicide than other European cities. However, in 1996 the biggest cause of death from injury in London was suicide which accounted for over 700 deaths per year (see Accidents and Injuries). More recently, in 2001 there were 630 deaths from suicide and undetermined injury, a rate of approximately 8.5 per 100,000 of the resident population. This is slightly lower than the England rate of 8.9. Around 72% of these deaths were males (see Compendium of Clinical Indicators, 2002). The Government's Our Healthier Nation target is to reduce deaths from suicides by 20% by 2010 from the baseline figure for the combined years 1995 to 1997 (3). For London, this means a reduction to 7.3 suicides per 100,000 from the baseline of 9.2. For mortality rates for suicide and undetermined injury across London by Primary Care Trust see the PCT Indicators.

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In 1999 the ONS undertook a survey of the mental health of children and adolescents (aged five-to-15 years) in Great Britain. This survey looked at four main mental health categories (based on ICD-10 criteria): emotional disorders and depression (i.e. common mental health problems); conduct disorders (i.e. behavioural problems); hyperkinetic disorders (e.g. hyperactivity); and less common disorders (including psychotic disorder, eating disorders, development disorders etc). Of the children and adolescents surveyed:

Children in inner London were slightly more likely to have a mental heath problem than the rest of England and outer London. This was more noticeable in the age range 11-to-15 years, however for children aged five-to-10, those living in outer London had the greatest prevalence of mental health problems (see table 1) (4). The Research with East London Adolescents, Community Health Survey (RELACHS) supported the above results, finding higher rates of psychological distress in East London adolescents than nationally. However, in this study girls were more likely to have emotional disorders than boys. (5)

Using the above prevalence rates on 2003 population figures, it is estimated that there were approximately 46,000 5-to-10 year olds and 49,000 11-to-15 year olds with mental health problems in the general population. However, these figures do not take into account higher rates of mental health problems amongst children and young people in care or within the criminal justice system, or those receiving inpatient care for such problems (see socio-demographic factors and crime and Criminal Justice).

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Research suggests that depression may affect between 10-15% of the people aged 65 and older, although the prevalence of more severe forms of clinical depression (major depression) are thought to be substantially lower (6).

In the ONS psychiatric morbidity survey of adults (aged 16-to-74 years), the lowest prevalence rates for any common mental health problem were among those aged 65-to-69 (10.2%) and 70-to-74 (9.4%) (compared with 16.4% for all ages). This was most noticeable amongst men aged 65-to-74 (5.7% compared with 13.5% for all ages). Overall, 10% of the sample of people aged 65-to-74 years were thought to have a common mental health problem which equates to approximately 46,000 people aged 65-to-74 living in London in 2003 excluding older people in care or in hospital (1).

Date	Title	Format	View
10 Mar 2006	Directly standardised mortality rates for suicide and injury of undetermined intent, 2002-2004
10 Mar 2006	Suicide in London 2002-2004: an update
16 Dec 2005	Statistics of mentally disordered offenders 2004
24 Aug 2005	Deaths from suicide and undetermined injury in London 2001-2003
13 Jun 2005	Adults with a psychotic disorder living in private households, 2002
10 Jun 2005	Health of Young People in East London: The RELACHS study 2001
10 Jun 2005	Psychiatric morbidity among adults living in private households, 2000
10 Jun 2005	The Mental Health of Older People
19 May 2005	Prevalence of mental health problems amongst children and young people aged 5-to-15 years
19 May 2005	Prevalence of personality disorders in adults in private households by age range and sex
19 May 2005	Prevalence of probable psychotic disorder (including bipolar affective disorder)
18 May 2005	Mental health problems amongst children and young people - family factors and socio-economic background
18 May 2005	Prevalence of Common Mental Health Problems

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1. Singleton N, Bumpstead R, O'Brien M, Lee A, Meltzer H (2001) Psychiatric morbidity among adults living in private households, 2000. Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO): London.
2. Hankkin BL, Abramson LY, Moffitt TE, et al. (1998) Development of depression from pre-adolescence to young adulthood: emerging gender differences in a 10 year longitudinal study, in (1998) Evidence-based mental health, vol 1, no.3.
3. Department of Health (1999) Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation TSO: London.
4. Meltzer H, Gatward R, Goodman R, Ford T (2000) The mental health of children and adolescents in Great Britain HMSO: London
5. The Institute of Community Health Sciences (2003) Health of Young People in East London: The RELACHS study Barts and the London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine & Dentistry, TSO: London.
6. Evans O, Singleton N, Meltzer H, Stewart R, Prince M (2003) The mental health of Older people HMSO: London.

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• The Office for National Statistic - Psychiatric morbidity surveys
• Department of Health - Mental health surveys page
• Scottish Executive - Mental Health Division
• National Assembly for Wales - Health and Social Care Department

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