Health and health care; personal characteristics

Table explanation

Description topics

Self-perceived health: good/very good

Percentage of persons who answered ꞌgoodꞌ or ꞌvery goodꞌ to the question: ꞌHow do you assess your general state of health?ꞌ / ꞌHow does your child assess his, her general state of health?ꞌ. Parents or caretakers answer this question on behalf of children under the age of 12 years.

Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5),12 plus

The figures relate to the Mental Health Inventory 5 or ꞌMHI-5ꞌ. This is an international standard for a specific measuring of psychological distress, consisting of 5 questions. MHI-5 is actually an extract of ꞌShort Format 36ꞌ (SF-36), an elaborate international standard for measuring health. MHI-5 deals with questions related to how one felt during the last 4 weeks. The following questions were asked:
1. Did you feel very nervous?
2. Were you so down in the dump that nothing could cheer you up?
3. Did you feel calm and quiet?
4. Did you feel depressed and down?
5. Were you happy?

Every question has the following 6 answer categories: all the time, most of the time, often, sometimes, rarely, and never. The answer categories in positively worded questions of the MHI questionnaire (questions 3 and 5) have been consequently awarded the values 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0. The answer categories in negatively worded questions (questions 1, 2 ad 4) have been awarded the turned-down values. Next, per person the sum scores have been calculated and multiplied by 4, so that the minimum sum score of a person can be 0 (very unhealthy) and the maximum score 100 (perfectly healthy). A score of 60 or more means that a respondent has no psychological distress.

A score of less than 60 means that a person does have psychological distress.
Until 2023, instead of ‘psychological distress’, the term ‘poor mental health’ was used.

However, researchers at the Trimbos Institute determined in 2024 that the cut-off point of 60 as previously used was no longer sufficient for a number of reasons. The previous determination of the cut-off value of the MHI-5 used a method that depends on the prevalence of mental disorders. Because the prevalence has proven to be variable, this cut-off value is no longer sufficient. Furthermore, the classification of mental disorders has changed since the previous cut-off value determination: the DSM-5 is currently used, while the old cut-off value was based on the criteria of DSM-III-R. More information about recalibration of the MHI can be found in the fact sheet of the Trimbos Institute (see table explanation).

The variable 'Psychological distress, past 4 weeks' will therefore no longer be supplemented from 2024 and from September 2024 CBS will only include the series on the variable Feelings of anxiety or depression, 4 wks (last 4 weeks).

Feelings of anxiety or depression, 4 wks

The percentage of people aged 12 years or older who score 76 or lower on the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) for adolescents aged 12 years and older and adults. These people have had feelings of anxiety or depression in the past 4 weeks.

Pain, 12 years or older

Pain

Percentage persons of 12 years or older who answered ‘not much but not too little’, ‘a lot’ or ‘very much’ to the question ‘How much pain have you had in the last 4 weeks?’

Medical contacts

Persons are asked if they had contact with their GP, specialist, dentist, dental hygienist, orthodontist, physiotherapist, exercise therapist, psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist, and if he or she is treated by alternative healer. Also, if there were hospital admissions or day care admissions. For children up to 12 years old, these questions are answered by the parent/guardian. Most questions after medical contacts are asked to persons of all ages. Contacts that do not often occur in the case of children are posed from an older age.

Contact with GP

From 2021, the introductory text for the question about GP contacts has been changed to: Now something about contacts with the GP. This includes visits to the GP practice, home visits, telephone consultations, video calling, contacts via email or other e-consultations. Contacts with a replacement GP or with the GP post must also be included. Contacts with the practice assistant and the practice nurse should not be included.
Until 2021, the introductory text was 'Contacts with the GP include visits to the GP practice, home visits and telephone consultations. Contacts with a replacement GP or with the GP post also count. Contacts with the practice assistant and the practice nurse do not count.'
Contacts in the 12 months prior to the survey date are asked in the questionnaire. The questions are asked to respondents of all ages.

Persons with at least 1 contact

Percentage of persons in the population who contacted a GP at least once in the 12 months preceding the interview.

Contacts per person

This figure is the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, per person in the population.
In order to prevent distortion as a consequence of bad memory respondents are asked after the number of contacts in the last 4 weeks preceding the interview. In order to calculate the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, the number of contacts in 4 weeks is multiplied by 13 (13 periods of 4 weeks make 1 year).

Contacts p.p. with at least 1 contact

This figure is the average number of contacts of persons who in the 12 months preceding the interview at least had contact once.
In order to prevent distortion as a consequence of bad memory respondents are asked after the number of contacts in the last 4 weeks preceding the interview. In order to calculate the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, the number of contacts in 4 weeks is multiplied by 13 (13 periods of 4 weeks make 1 year).