Mental health in UK Biobank - development, implementation and results from an online questionnaire completed by 157,366 participants. [Retracted]
Davis, K; Coleman, J; Adams, M; et al.Allen, N; Breen, G; Cullen, B; Dickens, CM; Fox, E; Graham, N; Holliday, J; Howard, L; John, A; Lee, W; McCabe, R; McIntosh, A; Pearsall, R; Sudlow, C; Ward, J; Zammit, S; Hotopf, M
Date: 3 April 2018
Article
Journal
BJPsych Open
Publisher
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Background: UK Biobank is a well-characterised cohort of over 500,000 participants that offers
unique opportunities to investigate multiple diseases and risk factors. An online mental health
questionnaire completed by UK Biobank participants expands the potential for research into mental
disorders.
Methods: An expert working group ...
Background: UK Biobank is a well-characterised cohort of over 500,000 participants that offers
unique opportunities to investigate multiple diseases and risk factors. An online mental health
questionnaire completed by UK Biobank participants expands the potential for research into mental
disorders.
Methods: An expert working group designed the questionnaire, using established measures where
possible, and consulting with a service user group regarding acceptability. Case definitions were
defined using operational criteria for lifetime depression, mania, anxiety disorder, psychotic-like
experiences and self-harm, and current post-traumatic stress and alcohol use disorders.
Results: 157,366 completed online questionnaires were available by August 2017. Comparison of
self-reported diagnosed mental disorder with a contemporary study shows a similar prevalence,
despite respondents being of higher average socioeconomic status than the general population
across a range of indicators. Thirty-five percent (55,750) of participants had at least one defined
syndrome, of which lifetime depression was the most common at 24% (37,434). There was extensive
comorbidity among the syndromes. Mental disorders were associated with high neuroticism score,
adverse life events and long-term illness; addiction and bipolar affective disorder in particular were
associated measures of deprivation.
Conclusions: The questionnaire represents a very large mental health survey in itself, and the results
presented here show high face validity, although caution is needed due to selection bias. Built into
UK Biobank, these data intersect with other health data to offer unparalleled potential for
crosscutting biomedical research involving mental health.
Institute of Health Research
Collections of Former Colleges
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