Epidemiological survey of mental disorders in the people aged 18 and older in Hebei Province

Abstract 

Objective

To describe the time point prevalence and distribution of all types of mental disorders in Hebei Province.

Methods

From October 2004 to March 2005, stratified multi-stage cluster randomization was used to identify 24,000 subjects ≥18 years of age in Hebei Province. An expanded version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to identify subgroups of subjects at high, moderate and low risk of having a mental disorder, then psychiatrists determined their diagnoses by administering a structured psychiatric examination (SCID) that employs Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-IV).

Results

(1) Twenty thousand seven hundred and sixteen subjects completed the screening. The overall time point rate of mental disorders was 16.24% (95% CI=15.8–16.7%). Major depressive disorder (2.70%), unspecified anxiety disorders (2.51%) and dysthymic disorders (2.31%) occupied the preceding positions. The overall life-time prevalence of mental disorders was 18.51% (95% CI=18.0–19.0%). Major depressive disorder (4.75%), alcohol dependence and abuse disorders (3.86%) and unspecified depressive disorder (2.55%) occupied the preceding positions. (2) The time point prevalence: the overall prevalence of mental disorders was higher in rural (16.65%) than in urban areas (14.43%) and obviously higher in women (16.79%) than in men (15.70%), P<0.05–0.01. Accompanied with the age growth, the prevalence goes up. Among the total, 30–49 was 137.17–156.71‰, ≥50 was 20.14–28.54%.

Conclusions

Through the investigation, we have kept abreast of the time point prevalence and the characteristic of distribution of all types of mental disorders in Hebei Province, and provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of mental disorders.

Keywords: Mental disorders, Epidemiologic methods, Hebei Province