Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders, in patients of the psy- chiatry service of a district hospital in central Portugal (Beira Interior South) that has served a population of 12,393 patients since 1979.Methods: The sample included 976, randomly selected, patients' charts, of these 592 were women (60.7%) and 384 were men (39.3%). The average age for the first consultation was of 43 years of age (SD=19, Median=43, mode=30, minimum age=3, maximum age=86). The data gathering instruments used were the patient's charts and data collection form (design for this study), and the instruments that supported the data analysis were the Pharmacological Symposium and DSM-IV, to help decode the diagnosis presented by the psychiatrist. The data collected was coded (human coding), and inserted in a SPSS database. Epidemiological rates were calculated. Results: The prevalence of mental disorders in this population, between the years of 2000 and 2006, was of 32.15%. The main disorders found in this sample were: mood disorders (42.6%), anxiety (13.8%), alcohol (12.4%), mental retardation (5.3%), dementia (4.7%) and schizophrenia (4.6%). Conclusions: The results obtained allow the filling of an important information gap regarding the epidemiology of mental disorders in Portugal, and also contribute in a significant way to the worldwide understanding of these dis - orders. Overall, our findings confirm the prevalence of the major mental disorders referred to in other studies. The implications of these results are thoroughly discussed.
Highlights
The awareness that mental disorders are a serious public health problem is relatively recent
When the World Health Report, of 2001, was dedicated to Mental Health, the World Health Organization was making a very clear statement: mental health, which has been neglected for a long time, is crucial for the well-being of individuals, societies and countries [1]
In the last two decades there were many epidemiologic studies, that provided a better understanding about the occurrence and development of mental disorders, some examples are: the ECA Study - Epidemiologic Catchment Area: A Survey of Mental Disorders, by the National Institute of Mental Health (1980-1985) [2,3]; the NCS - National Co-morbidity Survey (1990-1992) [4], and the NCS-R - National Comorbidity Survey Replication (2001-2003) [5,6]
Summary
The awareness that mental disorders are a serious public health problem is relatively recent. In the last two decades there were many epidemiologic studies, that provided a better understanding about the occurrence and development of mental disorders, some examples are: the ECA Study - Epidemiologic Catchment Area: A Survey of Mental Disorders, by the National Institute of Mental Health (1980-1985) [2,3]; the NCS - National Co-morbidity Survey (1990-1992) [4], and the NCS-R - National Comorbidity Survey Replication (2001-2003) [5,6] These studies provided knowledge of the direct and indirect consequences of mental disorders with personal, family and social impairment, as well as detailed information on the frequency and risk factors of these illnesses. Mental and behavioural disorders are present, at any given time, in about 10% of the adult population, affecting 20-25% of all people in some moment of their lives [1]
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