[Prevalence of psychiatric pathology at a rural health centre].

OBJECTIVES

To find the prevalence of psychiatric pathology at a rural health centre and to compare the results with results from studies with a similar design.

DESIGN

Two-stage crossover study of prevalence: first, detection and then, psychiatric pathology evaluation.Setting. El Marquesado Health Centre (Granada). Scattered rural population with low social and economic level and high percentage of elderly people.

PARTICIPANTS

Simple randomised sample representing the population over 18. N=245; error alpha=5%. Sampling source: electoral register.

MEASUREMENTS: GHQ-28 Goldberg Questionnaire, social and demographic data, and CAGE test. The CIS questionnaire for psychiatry was administered to those who exceeded the cut-off point (GHQ-28=5) and they were allocated a DSM IV diagnosis. If CAGE was>=2, damaging alcohol consumption was studied. If there was a prior diagnosis, the second stage was avoided. Measurements of prevalence with their exact confidence intervals were made.

RESULTS

Prevalence of psychiatric pathology: 28.6% (34.5% in women and 22.6% in men). 30% of cases had two diagnoses. Anxiety disorders were the most common pathology (8.97%), representing 23.9% of the grouped diagnoses. Depression disorders had 8.16% prevalence; problematic consumption of substances, 6.12%. The most common isolated diagnosis was Dysthymia (9.78% of cases). Hidden psychiatric morbidity reached 40%.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of psychiatric pathology is very high. The most common disorders are those of anxiety, followed by depression and damaging alcohol consumption.