ScotPHO website annual section updates

Life satisfaction One measure of mental wellbeing is ‘life satisfaction’ and this has been included in the Scottish Health Survey since 2008. Respondents are asked to rate how satisfied they are with their life nowadays, on an 11-point scale from zero (extremely dissatisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied).The mean score for adults in Scotland aged 16+ in 2011 was 7.6. Levels of life satisfaction have remained constant since 2008. Anxiety and depression Rates of patients consulting for anxiety and depression at GP practices are estimated from a sample of practices in Scotland submitting Practice Team Information data. A strong relationship exists with Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2012 quintiles (fifths of the population):For anxiety, the estimated age-standardised rate of patients who consulted a GP or practice nurse in the year ending 31 March 2012 was greatest in the most deprived quintile (39 males consulting per 1000 males, and 79 females per 1000 females). This was more than twice as high as the rates in the least deprived quintile (18 males consulting per 1000 males, and 36 females per 1000 females). For depression, a broadly similar pattern was seen (24 males consulting per 1000 males and 44 females per 1000 females in the most deprived quintile, compared with 12 males per 1000 males and 28 females per 1000 females in the least deprived quintile).