Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in an Italian town: low prevalence confirmed with two different interviews.

BACKGROUND

In Italy, few studies on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders have considered all of the most common disorders and very few have adopted the most common tools, that is, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and the Present State Examination (PSE). The objective of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and its correlates in the town of Jesi, Italy, using the PSE and CIDI, administered 7 years apart.

METHODS

The two surveys were conducted among adults in Jesi (central Italy), using the PSE in 1993 and the CIDI in 2000. Participants were randomly chosen from the patient lists of general practitioners.

RESULTS

The one-month prevalence of persons with a psychiatric disorder was 7.3% (95% CI: 4.4-11.6) in 1993 and 6.0% (95% CI: 3.5-9.5) in 2000. The lifetime and 1-year prevalence rates were 21.0 and 8.2%, respectively. The most common disorders were depressive and anxiety disorders. Mood and anxiety disorders were more common among women and unmarried persons.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence is lower than that in most other areas of the world yet consistent with estimates for Italian populations reported by studies using the same (or similar) tools.