Table 3.
Unadjusted Trends in Psychological Distress Among US Adults, 1997 to 2004
| Trend | Year of the National Health Interview Survey | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
| Mean (SD) psychological distressa score | 2.7 (0.10) | 2.5 (0.09) | 2.1 (0.08) | 2.3 (0.08) | 2.8 (0.08) | 2.5 (0.07) | 2.5 (0.08) | 2.6 (0.07) |
| Psychological distressa (%) | ||||||||
| No/low | 85.8 | 88.4 | 90.1 | 88.9 | 86.6 | 87.6 | 87.1 | 86.4 |
| Mild-moderate | 10.5 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 9.6 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 9.8 |
| Severe | 3.7 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
a
Psychological distress was defined using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), with strata classified as no/low (K6 score 0 to 6), mild-moderate (7 to 12), or severe (13 or more).