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Sociodemographic correlates of psychiatric diseases: accounting for misclassification in survey diagnoses of major depression, alcohol and drug use disorders

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Abstract

This paper illustrates how validation data can be used to correct for errors in survey indicators of psychiatric disorders in models where the outcome of interest is the probability of a positive diagnosis. Nonlinear models of the risks associated with a broad range of sociodemographic factors for three disorders (major depression, alcohol and drug use disorders) are estimated with adjustments for classification errors in the survey diagnoses. Estimates show that inferences drawn from the unadjusted models may seriously understate gender and regional differences in the prevalence rates of all three disorders, the effects of education and ethnicity on the development of alcohol use disorders, and the relationship between marital status and the risk of major depression.

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  1. Department of Economics, Smith College, Northampton, MA, 01063

    Elizabeth Savoca

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  1. Elizabeth Savoca
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Correspondence to Elizabeth Savoca.

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Savoca, E. Sociodemographic correlates of psychiatric diseases: accounting for misclassification in survey diagnoses of major depression, alcohol and drug use disorders. Health Serv Outcomes Res Method 5, 175–191 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10742-006-6827-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10742-006-6827-y

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