World Mental Health Survey, South Africa, 2003-2004

Abstract

The World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative was a coordinated series of general population surveys of mental, substance use, and behavioral disorders conducted in countries across all World Health Organization (WHO) regions. The approach taken by WMH was to conduct rigorous general population surveys in nationally representative samples in many countries throughout the world, to generate data from these surveys on the prevalence, severity, course, and treatment of mental disorders. Data were collected using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) which uses both ICD-10 and DSM-III diagnostic criteria. This survey was conducted in South Africa and utilized the Afrikaans, English, North Sotho, Xhosa, and Zulu versions of the CIDI.