The "true prevalence" of mental illness in a new england state.

Utilizing the 22-Item Mental Health Scale developed by the staff of the Midtown Manhattan Project, the mental health status of a sample of 600 New Hampshire residents is examined. The findings suggest that more than one-quarter of the respondents in the sample are psychosocially impaired to varying degrees. The results also indicate that approximately 15 per cent of the respondents had previously sought help for problems of a psychiatric nature. Also considered is the distribution of mental illness in different State regions and the relationship of mental illness to several demographic and sociocultural factors.