An epidemiological study of neurasthenia in Chinese-Americans in Los Angeles

doi:10.1016/S0010-440X(97)90056-0

Comprehensive Psychiatry

Volume 38, Issue 5, September–October 1997, Pages 249-259

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-440X(97)90056-0 Get rights and content

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence and clinical features of ICD-10-defined neurasthenia (NT) in Chinese-Americans and its relations to other psychiatric disorders. In this community epidemiological survey, the enhanced Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), with a supplemental NT module, was administered to 1,747 Chinese-Americans, selected with a stratified cluster sampling method. The SCL90-R was also used for measuring psychiatric morbidity and symptoms. Dimensions of social stress and social support were measured by established instruments. A total of 112 ICD-10 NT subjects (6.4%) were identified. Of these, 63 (56.3%) did not experience any current and lifetime DSM-III-R diagnoses, yielding a 12-month or lifetime prevalence rate of “pure” NT of 3.61%. This rate was much higher than any of the other psychiatric disorders in this sample. Compared with normal subjects, “pure” NT subjects had significantly higher SCL-90-R total and factor scores, experienced more psychosocial stress, and perceived less social support (P < .05 or .01). Compared with subjects with depression and anxiety disorders, “pure” NT cases reported significantly less SCL-90-R psychological symptoms (P < .05 or.01), but had a strikingly similar elevation in the somatization subscale score. These data suggest that NT is a distinctive clinical condition overlapping only partially with the other better recognized diagnostic entities. In view of its high prevalence and the salience of its impact on the health of those afflicted, it is imperative that concerted research efforts be made to further elucidate the temporal stability, natural course, and outcome of such a condition.

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Current diagnostic tools may not correctly identify cultural variations in reports of psychological symptoms. For example, a large study of Chinese Americans found that more than half of patients who experienced neurasthenia did not meet the criteria for a mood or anxiety disorder (Zheng et al., 1997). Self-rated health measures represent health perceptions or subjective perceptions and include global evaluations of health (Patrick, 2005).
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^☆: Supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grants No. MH47193 (Y.-RZ, K-M.L., FC.), MH44331 (K.-M.L, D.T., KSX, YW.), and MH47460 (K-M.L., D.T., K.S.K., YW.).

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An epidemiological study of neurasthenia in Chinese-Americans in Los Angeles☆

Abstract

Compr Psychiatry

Psychosomatics

American Nervousness

A Practical Treatise on Nervous Exhaustion (Neurasthenia)

The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III (SCID). I. History, rationale, and description

Arch Gen Psychiatry

Neurasthenia and depression: a study of somatization and culture in China

Cult Med Psychiatry

The diagnosis and phenomenology of neurasthenia: a Shanghai study

Cult Med Psychiatry

Rediagnosis of 50 neurasthenics according to DSM-III

J Chin Neuropsychiatry

The necessity of retaining the diagnostic concept of neurasthenia

Cult Med Psychiatry

Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders

ICD-10: The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines

Neurasthenia in Chinese students and visiting scholars in the United States

Psychiatr Ann

Neurasthenia

An epidemiological study of neuroses in Chengdu city

Chin J Neuropsychiatry

12 Areas Epidemiological Survey of Neuroses

Chin J Neuropsychiatry

Intergenerational research: methodological considerations