Prevalence of Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the Community: Results from the Israel National Health Survey

Objective: To estimate the 12-month and lifetime prevalence rates of mood and anxiety disorders in Israel and their socio-demographic correlates. Method: A representative sample of respondents extracted from the National Pop- ulation Register of non-institutionalized residents, aged 21 or older, were interviewed at home between May, 2003, and April, 2004. DSM-IV disorders were assessed using a revised version of the Composite International Diagnostic Inter- view. Results: Seventeen percent of the sampled adult population reported a lifetime occurrence of a mood or anxiety disorder, while nearly one in 10 (9.7%) reported a mood or anxiety disorder occurring during the previous 12 months. Mood disorders were twice as common as anxiety disorders. Conclusion: Contrary to expectations born out of Israel's unique life circumstances, the prevalence of mood or anxiety disorders fall within the range of other western countries. However, given the current age structure and the age of onset of these disorders, their total burden in the near future is likely to increase.