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Enduring mental health in the Baltimore epidemiologic catchment area follow-up study

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To estimate the prevalence of enduring mental health (EMH) and examine important correlates of EMH 23 years later in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follow-Up study.

Methods

We estimated the prevalence of EMH among 964 adults with diagnostic data at all four study waves (1981–2004). Those with EMH were compared to those with any mental or behavioral disorder by demographic, psychosocial, and health characteristics. We used forward selection models to identify the most important predictors of EMH.

Results

Twenty-six percent of participants met criteria for enduring mental health across the four waves. Neuroticism, GHQ-20 score, childhood conduct problems, female sex, maternal depression, and poor self-rated health were negatively associated with EMH.

Conclusions

We identified several malleable factors associated with a decreased likelihood of enduring mental health. Interventions that target high neuroticism, childhood conduct problems, or maternal depression may increase the likelihood that children achieve EMH later in life. Identifying and treating other factors such as poor self-reported health and greater psychological distress may also keep sub-clinical symptoms from developing into a full mental or behavioral disorder.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the work of the entire ECA study team and the Baltimore City participants.

Funding

This research was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse grant 5T32DA007292-25 (KES supported, PI: Johnson), National Institute of Mental Health grant 5T32MH014592-39 (CH and KBR supported, PI: Zandi), and National Institute on Aging grant 1U01AG052445 (WWE MPI with MPI Spira).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, Room 886, Baltimore, MD, 21205-1999, USA

    Kristin E. Schneider, Calliope Holingue & William W. Eaton

  2. Center for Mental Health Services Research, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Kimberly B. Roth

Authors
  1. Kristin E. Schneider
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  2. Calliope Holingue
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  3. Kimberly B. Roth
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  4. William W. Eaton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristin E. Schneider.

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Schneider, K.E., Holingue, C., Roth, K.B. et al. Enduring mental health in the Baltimore epidemiologic catchment area follow-up study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 54, 997–1006 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01676-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01676-z

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