Social support is defined as information leading the subject to believe that he is cared for and loved, esteemed, and a member of a network of mutual obligations. The evidence that supportive interactions among people are protective against the health consequences of life stress is reviewed. It appears that social support can protect people in crisis from a wide variety of pathological states: from low birth weight to death, from arthritis through tuberculosis to depression, alcoholism, and the social breakdown syndrome. Furthermore, social support may reduce the amount of medication required, accelerate recovery, and facilitate compliance with prescribed medical regimens.

Social support as a moderator of life stress

The prevalence of comorbid alcohol, other drug, and mental disorders in the US total community and institutional population was determined from 20 291 persons interviewed in the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. Estimated US population lifetime prevalence rates were 22.5% for any non—substance abuse mental disorder, 13.5% for alcohol dependence-abuse, and 6.1% for other drug dependence-abuse. Among those with a mental disorder, the odds ratio of having some addictive disorder was 2.7, with a lifetime prevalence of about 29% (including an overlapping 22% with an alcohol and 15% with another drug disorder). For those with either an alcohol or other drug disorder, the odds of having the other addictive disorder were seven times greater than in the rest of the population. Among those with an alcohol disorder, 37% had a comorbid mental disorder. The highest mental-addictive disorder comorbidity rate was found for those with drug (other than alcohol) disorders, among whom more than half (53%) were found to have a mental disorder with an odds ratio of 4.5. Individuals treated in specialty mental health and addictive disorder clinical settings have significantly higher odds of having comorbid disorders. Among the institutional settings, comorbidity of addictive and severe mental disorders was highest in the prison population, most notably with antisocial personality, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders. (JAMA. 1990;264:2511-2518)

https://jamanetwork.com/HttpHandlers/ArticlePdfHandler.ashx?journal=JAMA&articleId=383975&pdfFileName=jama_264_19_026.pdf

Comorbidity of Mental Disorders With Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse. Results From the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study

Socioemotional selectivity theory claims that the perception of time plays a fundamental role in the selection and pursuit of social goals. According to the theory, social motives fall into 1 of 2 general categories--those related to the acquisition of knowledge and those related to the regulation of emotion. When time is perceived as open-ended, knowledge-related goals are prioritized. In contrast, when time is perceived as limited, emotional goals assume primacy. The inextricable association between time left in life and chronological age ensures age-related differences in social goals. Nonetheless, the authors show that the perception of time is malleable, and social goals change in both younger and older people when time constraints are imposed. The authors argue that time perception is integral to human motivation and suggest potential implications for multiple subdisciplines and research interests in social, developmental, cultural, cognitive, and clinical psychology.

https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/54/3/165.pdf

Taking Time Seriously. A Theory of Socioemotional Selectivity

The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire

Anxiety is as common as depression; however, it has received less attention and is often undetected and undertreated. The authors administered a 7-item anxiety scale to 965 primary care patients, w...

Anxiety Disorders in Primary Care: Prevalence, Impairment, Comorbidity, and Detection

• One-month prevalence results were determined from 18571 persons interviewed in the first-wave community samples of all five sites that constituted the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemilogic Catchment Area Program. US population estimates, based on combined site data, were that 15.4% of the population 18 years of age and over fulfilled criteria for at least one alcohol, drug abuse, or other mental disorder during the period one month before interview. Higher prevalence rates of most mental disorders were found among younger people (

One-month prevalence of mental disorders in the United States. Based on five Epidemiologic Catchment Area sites.

I NFOR1AMATTION on mental illness among the foreign-born is sparse and vefry little is, current. Indeed, in a recently publisihed booik the data in the section on nativity pertained to the period 1917-34 (1). Also, aside from gross na,tional data derived from the decennial ceins.us of institutions, most of the detailed available information on this subject concerns admissions to mental hospitals in but three States,: Minnesota (2), Massachusetts (3), and New York (4-6). This paper reviews these early data and presents the rateis at whiclh native and foreignborn were admitted to Ohio, public mental hiospitals during tihe period 1948 to June 30, 1952.

/pdf/immigration-and-insanity-2vhgpowrtu.pdf

Immigration and insanity.

Mental Disorders/Suicide

This report describes rates of outpatient psychiatric clinic usage for various demographic groups in the United States by age, including single years for children, sex, color and marital status. Major and detailed psychiatric diagnoses are also investigated. These data come from the national reporting program on outpatient psychiatric clinics and the 1960 census information. Differences by geographic region are also described.

Morton Kramer

Papers

One-month prevalence of mental disorders in the United States. Based on five Epidemiologic Catchment Area sites.

Immigration and insanity.

Mental Disorders/Suicide

Demographic and diagnostic characteristics of psychiatric clinic outpatients in the u.s.a., 1961*

Epidemiology, biostatistics, and mental health planning.