Elevated 12-Month and Lifetime Prevalence and Comorbidity Rates of Mood, Anxiety, and Alcohol Use Disorders in Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men

BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess whether Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) had a significantly elevated prevalence of psychiatric disorders compared to urban males in China. METHODS 807 MSM were recruited using a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method in urban area of northeast China. Psychiatric disorders were assessed employing the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI. Version 1.0) according to the criteria of the DSM-III-R. RESULTS Chinese MSM had a significantly elevated standardized prevalence ratios (SPR) for lifetime prevalence of any disorder (SPR = 2.8; 95%CI: 2.5-3.2), mood disorder (SPR = 3.0; 95%CI: 2.3-3.7), anxiety disorder (SPR = 5.5; 95% CI: 4.6-6.5), alcohol use disorder (SPR = 2.4, 95%CI: 2.0-2.8), and combination of disorders (SPR = 4.2; 95%CI: 3.4-5.1). CONCLUSIONS Chinese MSM had significantly elevated prevalence and comorbidity of psychiatric disorders. RDS is a suitable sampling method for psychiatric epidemiological survey in MSM population.