PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH
Two psychosocial health measures were included
in the survey: the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12), a high score
on which is an indicator of possible psychiatric morbidity, and a
'social support' scale measuring the level of support the person concerned
feels they have from family and friends.
Bangladeshi and Pakistani
men and women were more likely than the general population to have
a high GHQ12 score, indicating that they
may be more likely to suffer from psychiatric illness (risk ratios
_ Bangladeshi men 1.87, women 1.57; Pakistani men 1.34, women 1.27).
Relatively high prevalence of high GHQ12 scores was also seen in
Black Caribbean and Indian women (risk ratios 1.22 and 1.26 respectively).
People of Chinese origin were far less
likely to have a high GHQ12 score than the general population (risk
ratios 0.19 for men, 0.39
for women). Among Black Caribbean and Indian men, and Irish men
and women, the prevalence of high GHQ12 scores did not differ
from the
general population.
In terms of social support, South Asian
and Chinese men and women were at least twice as likely as the general
population
to be classified
as having a severe lack of social support, while Black Caribbeans
were around 30% more likely to be so classified.
Source: The Health
Survey of England 1999
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