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Evaluation of Mental Health Statistics and Survey Methodology in the United States

The video is about the mental health issue in the United States and provides new estimates of mental health disorders from the National Center for Health Statistics. The first takeaway is the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the primary data source on the well-being of civilian, non-institutionalized people in the United States. It is the oldest household health survey in the country (CDC, 2020, 02:45–02:58). The survey's capacity to assess health indicators across a wide range of socioeconomic and demographic variables is one of its key strengths (Health.gov, n.d.). NHIS collects data on activity limitations, illnesses, accidents, chronic ailments, healthcare coverage (or lack thereof), healthcare utilization, and other health-related subjects during household interviews.

Additionally, the NHIS questionnaire was revised in 2019 to improve relevance, enhance data quality, and reduce participant burden. Any adult household member filled out the 2019 NHIS roster, and the sample size comprised 31,997 adults and 9,193 children from 33,138 households (CDC, 2020, 04:14–04:26). The response rate from adults was 59.1%, while children also responded at 59.1%. In addition, the survey included a mental health content-rating core. The assessment involved a Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire, while service utilization comprised prescription medication, unmet mental healthcare needs, and therapy or counseling.

Assessment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Findings and Public Health Implications

Another takeaway is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is a widespread and incapacitating illness that frequently goes undertreated and underdiagnosed. Patients with GAD are more likely to commit suicide, experience cardiovascular-related problems, and pass away (DeMartini et al., 2019). Primary care doctors can diagnose and treat the majority of patients. Some symptoms of GAD are chronic and pervasive anxiety, muscle tension, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, irritability, and sleep disturbances. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the new estimates indicated that 9.5% of adults aged over 18 years had mild symptoms, 3.4% had moderate symptoms, 2.7% had severe symptoms, and 84.4% had minimal or no symptoms (CDC, 2020, 09:34–09:58). In the United States, the proportion of adults who experienced symptoms of anxiety in 2019 was 15.6%.

Reference List

CDC. (2020, October 13). Mental health in the United States: New estimates from NCHS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvxOdRlhoXY&t=18s

DeMartini, J., Patel, G., & Fancher, T. L. (2019). Generalized anxiety disorder. Annals of Internal Medicine, 170(7), ITC49–ITC64.

Health.gov. (n.d.). National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Health.gov. Retrieved November from https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/data-sources-and-methods/data-sources/national-health-interview-survey-nhis