© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Prevalence of psychiatric disorder and the need for psychiatric care in Northern Ireland
Population study in the District of Derry
Ross Thomson Unit, Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London
School of Medicine, Queen's University Belfast
Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, Omagh, Northern Ireland
North Limerick Child Development Team, Limerick, Ireland
Correspondence: Dr Pamela McConnell, RossThomson Unit, Causeway Hospital, 4 Newbridge Road, Coleraine BT52 IHS, Northern Ireland
Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.
Background This is the first report on the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders and needs for psychiatric treatment in the District of Derry, Northern Ireland.
Aims To assess the prevalence of psychiatric disorder and the needs for treatment in the general population of Derry.
Method The sample was drawn at random with a two-phase design using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ—28) during the first phase, and the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) with the Needs for Care Assessment (NFCAS—C) in the second phase.
Results The second phase (n=307) gave a weighted 1-month prevalence of hierarchically ordered ICD—10 psychiatric disorders of 7.5% and a 1-year prevalence of 12.2%. The equivalent prevalences for depressive disorders were 2.4% and 6.0%, respectively, and those for anxiety states were 3.5% and 3.7%. Only a quarter of needs for treatment were met, with the situation being better for depression than for anxiety.
Conclusions The rates of psychiatric disorder in Derry were even higher than those reported by a similar survey in inner London. This almost certainly reflects the very high levels of social deprivation in the District. Needs for treatment were often unmet.
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