Measuring Specific Mental Illness Diagnoses with Functional Impairment

The workshop summarized in this report was organized as part of a study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the goal of assisting SAMHSA in its responsibilities of expanding the collection of behavioral health data in several areas. The workshop brought together experts in mental health, psychiatric epidemiology and survey methods to facilitate discussion of the most suitable measures and mechanisms for producing estimates of specific mental illness diagnoses with functional impairment. The report discusses existing measures and data on mental disorders and functional impairment, challenges associated with collecting these data in large-scale population-based studies, as well as study design and estimation options.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Data Needs and Studies Planned
• 3 Instruments Available for Measuring Specific Mental Illness Diagnoses with Functional Impairment
• 4 Data Collection Approaches
• 5 Innovative Approaches to Measurement
• 6 Key Themes and Possible Next Steps
• Appendix A: Workshop Agenda
• Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Steering Committee Members and Speakers
• Committee on National Statistics
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