SLÁN 2007: Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition in Ireland: Mental Health and Social Well-being Report.

Abstract

This report presents the main findings on the mental health and social well-being of Irish adults from the 2007 Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN 2007). The SLÁN 2007 survey, commissioned by the Department of Health and Children, involved face-to-face interviews at home addresses with 10,364 respondents (62% response rate), aged 18 years and over; full details are given in the SLÁN 2007 Main Report (Morgan et al, 2008). This sample was representative of the general population in Ireland and was further weighted, for the purpose of analysis, to match the Census 2006 figures. SLÁN 2007 is, therefore, the largest national survey to date on the extent of both positive and negative mental health and social well-being in the Irish adult population. The present study aims: to determine the levels of mental health in the Irish adult population, including positive mental health, psychological distress, major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, reported self-harm and perceived stigma; to consider the influence of socio-demographic variables on reported levels of mental health; to determine the levels of social well-being in the Irish adult population, including levels of quality of life, social support, loneliness, community involvement and neighbourhood perceptions; to consider the influence of socio-demographic variables on reported levels of social well-being; to explore the relationships between mental health, social well-being, physical health andselected health behaviours; to consider the policy and practice implications of the study's findings.