Period prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Edmonton.

3,258 randomly selected adult household residents of Edmonton were interviewed by trained lay interviewers using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Six-month prevalence figures for DIS/DSM III diagnoses are given, and selected figures for the one-month and one-year prevalence, and the one-year symptom-free rates. The six-month prevalence for any diagnosis is 17.1%, comparable to findings from other population studies using DSM III derived diagnoses, but lower than studies using the PSE. The prevalence rates for most disorders tended to be lowest in the elderly, but this was not as marked as the drop in lifetime prevalence. Men had higher prevalence for substance use disorders than women, but women had higher rates for affective disorders and anxiety/somatoform disorders. Prevalences for all disorders were either similar or lower in those who were married or living as though married, than in those who were not cohabiting. One-year symptom-free rates were highest for those with substance use disorders and lowest for those with anxiety/somatoform disorders - largely due to the persistence of phobias.