Changes in psychological distress in Australia over an 8-year period : evidence for worsening in young men

Abstract

Objective: To assess whether psychological distress has changed in the Australian population. Method: Data were obtained from national household surveys of 1964 Australian adults in 1995 and 3507 in 2003-2004. Psychological distress was measured using the 4-NS, which asks about symptoms of depression, anxiety, irritability and nervousness in the past month. The data were analysed by gender and by age group, from 20-24 years to 70-74 years. Results: Psychological distress was found to have increased in men aged 20-29 years. This change was observed even when the same cohorts were compared. No change was found in women or in other male age groups. Conclusions: These data show the need for routine population monitoring of mental health to determine subgroups requiring priority action. Show more