The WHO World Mental Health Surveys: Global Perspectives on the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders »

RONALD KESSLER is the New York Times bestselling author of The Terrorist Watch, The Bureau, Inside the White House, and The CIA at War. A former reporter for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, he has won sixteen journalism awards. Kessler lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife, Pamela.

From the Hardcover edition.

This book reports the first results of the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Howard M. Kravitz, DO, MPH(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This is a compilation of results from the first 17 sites completing the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative, the largest coordinated series of cross-national psychiatric epidemiological surveys ever conducted.
Purpose:The purpose of this book, the first in a series of at least three that are planned, is to inform readers of the global importance of mental illness and its treatment. Thirty sites representing 27 countries (~200,000 respondents) participated in these surveys, which began in 1998, and individual and summary comparison results from 17 sites/countries on four continents are presented. Surveys but not data cleaning were completed at the remaining sites by 2008; their results will be posted when available on the WMH web site. This volume focuses principally on the prevalence of mental disorders and their global impact, particularly vis-a-vis severity and disability, and on treatment adequacy/undertreatment.
Audience:The identified targeted audience is physicians and health policy planners. However, the subject matter seems to offer limited clinically relevant information for practicing physicians, at least in the U.S. It is more likely to appeal to psychiatrists, particularly psychiatric epidemiologists (such as this reviewer). The editors and contributing authors are experts in psychiatric epidemiology and survey design/development.
Features:The book is divided into four sections: methods, country-specific results, cross-national comparisons, and conclusions. The methods are detailed and presented lucidly and engagingly. Results and comparisons chapters illuminate these empirical data with plenty of tables and figures displaying patterns and correlates of prevalence and treatment from the cross-sectional surveys conducted in this cross-national naturalistic initiative. The concluding chapter succinctly summarizes the innovative aspects of the WMH surveys and addresses issues regarding the need for this descriptive epidemiological survey of mental disorders, its design and limitations, and measurement in cross-cultural research. References are not encyclopedic but pertinent and up-to-date through the current year (2008). The index includes definitions for acronyms/abbreviations used in the text, though the reader is not informed to look here.
Assessment:The editors and their collaborators have compiled a comprehensive and valuable set of cross-national data, and this first volume captures its richness in text, tables, and figures. Volume updates and listings of journal articles and reports from the WMH surveys will be available on the WMH web site. This book definitely belongs in academic medical center/university libraries, and is a highly recommended addition for the personal libraries of anyone interested in understanding the global burden of mental disorders and the underpinnings of its societal impact. I eagerly await the forthcoming volumes.

Pt. I Methods

1 Introduction Ronald C. Kessler Kessler, Ronald C. T. Bedirhan Ustun Ustun, T. Bedirhan 3

2 Sample Designs and Sampling Procedures Steven G. Heeringa Heeringa, Steven G. J. Elisabeth Wells Wells, J. Elisabeth Frost Hubbard Hubbard, Frost Zeina N. Mneimneh Mneimneh, Zeina N. Wai-Tat Chiu Chiu, Wai-Tat Nancy A. Sampson Sampson, Nancy A. Patricia A. Berglund Berglund, Patricia A. 14

3 Implementation of the World Mental Health Surveys Beth-Ellen Pennell Pennell, Beth-Ellen Zeina N. Mneimneh Mneimneh, Zeina N. Ashley Bowers Bowers, Ashley Stephanie Chardoul Chardoul, Stephanie J. Elisabeth Wells Wells, J. Elisabeth Maria Carmen Viana Viana, Maria Carmen Karl Dinkelmann Dinkelmann, Karl Nancy Gebler Gebler, Nancy Silvia Florescu Florescu, Silvia Yanling He He, Yanling Yueqin Huang Huang, Yueqin Toma Tomov Tomov, Toma Gemma Vilagut Saiz Saiz, Gemma Vilagut 33

4 The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Ronald C. Kessler Kessler, Ronald C. T. Bedirhan Ustun Ustun, T. Bedirhan 58

5 Translation Procedures and Translation Assessment in the World Mental Health Survey Initiative Janet Harkness Harkness, Janet Beth-Ellen Pennell Pennell, Beth-Ellen Ana Villar Villar, Ana Nancy Gebler Gebler, Nancy Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio Ipek Bilgen Bilgen, Ipek 91

6 Concordance of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Version 3.0 (CIDI 3.0) with Standardized Clinical Assessments in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys Josep Maria Haro Haro, Josep Maria Saena Arbabzadeh-Bouchez Arbabzadeh-Bouchez, Saena Traolach S. Brugha Brugha, Traolach S. Giovanni de Girolamo de Girolamo, Giovanni Margaret E. Guyer Guyer, Margaret E. RobertJin Jin, Robert Jean-Pierre Lepine Lepine, Jean-Pierre Fausto Mazzi Mazzi, Fausto Blanca Reneses Reneses, Blanca Gemma Vilagut Saiz Saiz, Gemma Vilagut Nancy A. Sampson Sampson, Nancy A. Ronald C. Kessler Kessler, Ronald C. 114

Pt. II Country-Specific Chapters

WHO: Regional Office for the Americas (AMRO) 131

7 Mental Disorders in Colombia: Results from the World Mental Health Survey Jose Posada-Villa Posada-Villa, Jose Marcela Rodriguez Rodriguez, Marcela Patricia Duque Duque, Patricia Alexandra Garzon Garzon, Alexandra Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio Joshua Breslau Breslau, Joshua 131

8 The Mexican National Comorbidity Survey (M-NCS): Overview and Results Maria Elena Medina-Mora Medina-Mora, Maria Elena Guilherme Borges Borges, Guilherme Carmen Lara Lara, Carmen Corina Benjet Benjet, Corina Clara Fleiz Fleiz, Clara G. Estela Rojas Rojas, G. Estela Joaquin Zambrano Zambrano, Joaquin Jorge Villatoro Villatoro, Jorge Jeronimo Blanco Blanco, Jeronimo Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio Ronald C. Kessler Kessler, Ronald C. 144

9 The National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R): Cornerstone in Improving Mental Health and Mental Health Care in the United States Ronald C. Kessler Kessler, Ronald C. Patricia A. Berglund Berglund, Patricia A. Wai-Tat Chiu Chiu, Wai-Tat Olga Demler Demler, Olga Meyer Glantz Glantz, Meyer Michael C. Lane Lane, Michael C. Robert Jin Jin, Robert Kathleen Ries Merikangas Merikangas, Kathleen Ries Matthew Nock Nock, Matthew Mark Olfson Olfson, Mark Harold A. Pincus Pincus, Harold A. Ellen E. Walters Walters, Ellen E. Philip S. Wang Wang, Philip S. Kenneth B. Wells Wells, Kenneth B. 165

WHO: Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) 211

10 Mental Disorders among Adult