Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in a Community Population

Hahm, Bong Jin; Cho, Maeng Je

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study aims to access the distributions of psychiatric disorders in a community population using the Korean version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview(K-CIDI).
METHODS
CIDI is a comprehensive, fully standardized interview suitable for epidemiologic study. Subjects were selected by taking two-stage, cluster samples of 1,763 adult household residents, 18 to 64 years of age, in Namyangjusi, Kyunggido. Ten trained interviewers administered the K-CIDI to the selected respondents, from July 1 to August 30, 1999.
RESULTS
Total 1,060 respondents completed the interview. Lifetime prevalences and male/female ratio of lifetime prevalences of alcohol use disorders(abuse/dependence), nicotine dependence, specific phobia, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder were 15.6%(6.8%/8.9%) and 5.8 (12.3/3.7), 5.7% and 5.5, 3.9% and 0.3, 3.3% and 0.4, and 1.5% and 0.6, respectively. One-year prevalences and male/female ratio of one-year prevalences of alcohol use disorders, nicotine dependence, specific phobia, major depressive disorder were 7.5% and 6.8, 3.8% and 5.3, 3.4% and 0.4, and 2.0% and 0.3, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Compared with previous Korean results, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder was decreased and the prevalence of major depressive disorder showed little change. The prevalence of alcohol use disorder was comparable with the results of other countries, whereas mood disorders and anxiety disorders were less frequent than in other countries. Remarkable differences of distributions of psychiatric disorders across the areas and times were observed. Systematic cross-cultural comparison study is needed to overcome the methodological problems and to explore the cause of differences of distributions of psychiatric disorders.