Comorbid mental disorders among adults in the mental health surveillance survey

Abstract Purpose To examine the prevalence and correlates of mental disorder comorbidity in the adult U.S. household population. Methods Data are from a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized, civilian adults aged 18 or older ( n = 5,653) who participated in the 2008–2012 Mental Health Surveillance Study. Mental disorders, including substance use disorders, were assessed by clinical interviewers using a semi-structured diagnostic instrument. Analyses examined co-occurrence of mental disorders and associations with sociodemographic, functional impairment, and treatment correlates. Results Approximately one-third of adults (31.1 percent, or more than 15 million) with a past-year mental disorder had a co-occurring mental disorder. Correlates of comorbidity in adjusted models included being of young age, being of non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity, having low family income, and living in a large metropolitan area. Adults with comorbid mental disorders had lower mean levels of functioning and were more likely to report past-year treatment than adults with a single disorder; they also had higher estimates of past-year perceived unmet need for care (21.7 percent vs. 11.6 percent, p Conclusions About 1 in 3 adults with a mental disorder have a co-occurring mental disorder. Elucidating factors associated with co-occurrence may lend clues to shared etiologies, help improve prevention efforts, facilitate early identification, and improve treatment regimens.