What it measures
Dimension: Mental Health
The self-rated mental health indicator identifies the portion of the population aged 12 years and over who report their mental health status as being “excellent or very good”. Self-rated mental health provides a general indication of whether a person is experiencing some form of mental disorder, mental or emotional problems or distress, not necessarily reflected in self-reported (physical) health.
Why this matters
Mental health problems rank among the top five of all illness categories in terms of physician, drug and facility costs. Therefore, mental health status is an important indicator of the health of a population.