The Definition and Measurement of

MENTAL HEALTH

S. B. Sells
Editor

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE

HEALTH SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS

1968

RA 790.6

.397 1966

A Symposium Supported by Contract No. 86-65-107
Sponsored by the National Center for Health
Statistics, U.S. Public Health Service

John A. Clausen,
Ph.D.

John R. P. French, Jr.,
Ph.D.

Elmer A. Gardner,

M.D.

John C. Glidewell,
Ph.D.

Ernest A. Gruenberg,
M.D., Dr. P.H.

Jane Loevinger,

Ph.D.

Benjamin Pasamanick,

M.D.

S. B. Sells,
Ph.D.

M. Brewster Smith,
Ph.D.

Leo Srole,

Ph.D.

Joseph Zubin,

Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology and Member, Institute of
Human Development, University of California,
Berkeley, Calif.

Professor of Psychology and Program Director,
Research Center for Group Dynamics, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Director, Community Mental Health Center,
Temple University, Health Sciences Center, Phil-
adelphia, Pa.

Associate Professor, Social Science Institute,
Washington University, and Director of Research
and Development, The St. Louis County Health
Department, St. Louis, Mo.

Professor of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.

Research Associate Professor, Graduate Institute
of Education, and Research Associate, Social
Science Institute, Washington University, St.
Louis, Mo.

President and Dean, New York School of Psy-
chiatry, New York, N.Y.

Professor of Psychology and Director, Institute
of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian Uni-
versity, Fort Worth, Tex.

Professor of Psychology and Associate Director,
Institute of Human Development, University of
California, Berkeley, Calif.

Professor of Psychiatry (Social Sciences), Col-
lege of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Uni-
versity, and Director, Social Sciences Research
Unit, New York State Psychiatric Institute,
New York, N.Y.

Professor of Psychology, Columbia University,
and Chief, Biometrics Research, New York State
Department of Mental Hygiene, New York,
N.Y.

III

Foreword

The National Center for Health Statistics is pleased to present within these covers the series of lectures, sponsored by the Center, entitled, "Symposium on Definition and Measurement of Mental Health." As is pointed out by Dr. Saul B. Sells, the moderator of the Symposium, in his preface, the Symposium was organized primarily to secure the most outstanding advice available about how to approach the measurement of the prevalence of mental ill health in the population of the United States.

Enough is known to indicate that, by almost any index except mortality, problems of mental health rank at the top among problems of the public health in this country. However, very little prevalence data exist, particularly data based on national samples. It was clear, therefore, that the center, charged with the task of producing statistics on the health of the American people, had a responsibility to make a major effort to produce national statistics.

Yet no standard or well accepted methods exist for carrying out this task. In fact, there seems to be much disagreement about the concept of mental health or mental illness. The statistician is especially concerned with operating definitions, that is, definitions that can be applied in the field. The Symposium was a way of making a start in coming to grips with these problems.

While this objective was closely related to the mission of the National Center for Health Statistics and, hence, a major audience to be reached was the staff of the Center itself, it soon became clear that a much broader audience was concerned and, in fact, the idea of the Symposium attracted wide attention. This book is published to acquaint this broader audience with the results of the seminar.

Theodore D. Woolsey,
Director,

National Center for
Health Statistics

V