TY - JOUR
T1 - Methodological innovations in the National Survey of American Life
AU - Jackson, James S.
AU - Neighbors, Harold W.
AU - Nesse, Randolph M.
AU - Trierweiler, Steven J.
AU - Torres, Myriam
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - This paper provides an overview of the conceptualization and methods used in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). The objectives of the NSAL are to investigate the nature, severity, and impairment of mental disorders among national samples of the black and non-Hispanic white (n = 1,006) populations in the US, including African American (N = 3,570), and Afto-Caribbean (N = 1,623) immigrant and second and older generation, populations. National multi-stage probability methods were used in generating the samples and race/ethnic matching of interviewers and respondents were employed in the largely face-to-face interview, lasting on average 2 hours and 20 minutes. Two methodological approaches are described for addressing sampling coverage of individuals attached to, but not residing in, selected households at the time of the study. The paper also describes two approaches used to address concerns about the interpretations of standard symptom probe information in assessing serious mental disorders. This included a clinical reappraisal study designed to ascertain differences in symptom responding and ascertainment of cases (N = 677) in a subset of the same NSAL respondents. Finally, an abbreviated, novel method for estimating the prevalence of mental disorders in first-degree family members is described and the preliminary results from this new approach are reported.
AB - This paper provides an overview of the conceptualization and methods used in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). The objectives of the NSAL are to investigate the nature, severity, and impairment of mental disorders among national samples of the black and non-Hispanic white (n = 1,006) populations in the US, including African American (N = 3,570), and Afto-Caribbean (N = 1,623) immigrant and second and older generation, populations. National multi-stage probability methods were used in generating the samples and race/ethnic matching of interviewers and respondents were employed in the largely face-to-face interview, lasting on average 2 hours and 20 minutes. Two methodological approaches are described for addressing sampling coverage of individuals attached to, but not residing in, selected households at the time of the study. The paper also describes two approaches used to address concerns about the interpretations of standard symptom probe information in assessing serious mental disorders. This included a clinical reappraisal study designed to ascertain differences in symptom responding and ascertainment of cases (N = 677) in a subset of the same NSAL respondents. Finally, an abbreviated, novel method for estimating the prevalence of mental disorders in first-degree family members is described and the preliminary results from this new approach are reported.
KW - Clinical Validation
KW - DSM-IV disorders
KW - Family history
KW - Incarceration
KW - Race and ethnicity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=10244251560&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=10244251560&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/mpr.182
DO - 10.1002/mpr.182
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15719533
AN - SCOPUS:10244251560
VL - 13
SP - 289
EP - 298
JO - International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
JF - International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
SN - 1049-8931
IS - 4
ER -