Psychiatric disorder in London and North Uist

Abstract

Results are presented of two psychiatric surveys of women in London and in North Uist in the Outer Hebrides that used the same clinical type of measure of psychiatric disorder. Working class women in London have a much greater risk of psychiatric disorder, particularly of a depressive nature: but in North Uist there is no class difference in psychiatric disorder and the overall rate of disorder is somewhat less than in London. In North Uist there are, however, differences in the form of the disorder according to the extent to which women are integrated into the culture of the island. Those most integrated have a higher rate of anxiety and lower rate of depression and the least integrated the reverse pattern.