Mental health of the Hungarian adult population

Abstract

Background The mental health of Hungarians fares unfavourably in international comparison. The Eurobarometer survey on mental health ranked the country 22nd according to the proportion of the population feeling happy all or most of the time; and 27th, that is, last, in terms of feeling full of life all or most of the time. However, the mental health strategy of the country puts a much greater emphasis on services for sufferers of mental disorders within the health care system than on primary prevention. In order to provide a snapshot of the mental health of the Hungarian population, a representative survey of the mental health of the adult population was carried out. Methods The survey was designed and data analysed by researchers of our university; data was collected by a polling company in a representative sample of 1200 persons of the adult population. A self-filling questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic data, socioeconomic status, social support, psychological stress, sense of coherence, depression, anxiety, and stress using validated scales.