Abstract
BackgroundIn Asia, there has been no population-based epidemiological study using the K6, a 6-item instrument that assesses nonspecific psychological distress.MethodsUsing cross-sectional data from 2006, we studied 43 716 (20 168 men and 23 548 women) community-dwelling people aged 40 years or older living in Japan. We examined the association between psychological distress and demographic, medical, lifestyle, and social factors by using the K6, with psychological distress defined as 13 or more points out of a total of 24 points.ResultsThe following variables were significantly associated with psychological distress among the population: female sex, young and old age, a history of serious disease (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, myocardial infarction, or cancer), current smoking, former alcohol drinking, low body mass index, shorter daily walking time, lack of social support (4 of 5 components), and lack of participation in community activities (4 of 5 components). Among men aged 40 to 64 years, only “lack of social support for consultation when in trouble” and a history of diabetes mellitus remained significant on multivariate analysis. Among men aged 65 years or older, age was not significantly associated with psychological distress, and the significant association with current smoking disappeared on multivariate analysis. Among women aged 40 to 64 years, a history of stroke was not associated with psychological distress. Among women aged 65 years or older, the significant association with current smoking disappeared on multivariate analysis.ConclusionsA number of factors were significantly associated with psychological distress, as assessed by the K6. These factors differed between men and women, and also between middle-aged and elderly people.
Highlights
Mental health is an important component of overall wellbeing
Univariate analysis showed that the following were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of psychological distress: female sex, young and old age, a history of serious disease, a current smoking habit, a former alcohol drinking habit, low BMI, shorter daily walking time, lack of social support, and lack of participation in community activities
The results of the present study suggest that use of the K6 scale as a proxy indicator of mental health impairments contributes to the investigation of factors associated with mental health at the population level
Summary
Mental health is an important component of overall wellbeing. About 14% of the global disease burden has been attributed to mental illness, mostly due to the chronically disabling nature of depression and other common mental disorders.[1,2] numerous studies have produced systematic evidence regarding the risk factors for physical health, the understanding of factors related to mental health, in Asian countries, is still limited.[2]In 2002, in an attempt to devise a method to assess mental health in general population surveys, Kessler and colleagues developed a scale of nonspecific psychological distress—the K6—that comprises only 6 questions.[3]. Results: The following variables were significantly associated with psychological distress among the population: female sex, young and old age, a history of serious disease (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, myocardial infarction, or cancer), current smoking, former alcohol drinking, low body mass index, shorter daily walking time, lack of social support (4 of 5 components), and lack of participation in community activities (4 of 5 components). Among men aged 40 to years, only “lack of social support for consultation when in trouble” and a history of diabetes mellitus remained significant on multivariate analysis. Among men aged years or older, age was not significantly associated with psychological distress, and the significant association with current smoking disappeared on multivariate analysis. Among women aged years or older, the significant association with current smoking disappeared on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: A number of factors were significantly associated with psychological distress, as assessed by the K6 These factors differed between men and women, and between middle-aged and elderly people
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