Takeuchi D T, Chung R C, Lin K M, Shen H, Kurasaki K, Chun C A, Sue S
Neuropsychiatric Institute and the Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Am J Psychiatry. 1998 Oct;155(10):1407-14. doi: 10.1176/ajp.155.10.1407.
The authors' goal was to estimate the lifetime and 12-month rates of major depressive episodes and dysthymia for Chinese Americans who reside in Los Angeles. This effort, the Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study, is the first large-scale community psychiatric epidemiological study on an Asian American ethnic group that used DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive episodes and dysthymia.
A multi-stage sampling design was used to select respondents for participation in the survey. The sample included 1,747 adults, 18-65 years of age, who resided in Los Angeles County and who spoke English, Mandarin, or Cantonese.
Approximately 6.9% of the respondents had experienced an episode of major depression and 5.2% had had dysthymia in their lifetime. The 12-month rates of depressive episode and dysthymia were 3.4% and 0.9%, respectively. The most consistent correlate of lifetime and 12-month depressive episode and dysthymia was social stress, measured by past traumatic events and recent negative life events.
The Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study provides a rare opportunity to investigate the heterogeneity within a single Asian American ethnic group, Chinese Americans, and to identify the subgroups among Chinese Americans who may be most at risk for mental health problems.
作者的目标是估算居住在洛杉矶的华裔美国人一生中及12个月内发生重度抑郁发作和心境恶劣的比率。这项名为华裔美国人精神病流行病学研究的工作，是第一项针对亚裔美国人族群，采用《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》第三版修订版（DSM-III-R）中重度抑郁发作和心境恶劣标准的大规模社区精神病流行病学研究。
采用多阶段抽样设计来选择参与调查的受访者。样本包括1747名年龄在18至65岁之间、居住在洛杉矶县且会说英语、普通话或粤语的成年人。
约6.9%的受访者一生中经历过一次重度抑郁发作，5.2%的人有过心境恶劣。抑郁发作和心境恶劣的12个月发生率分别为3.4%和0.9%。一生中及12个月内抑郁发作和心境恶劣最一致的相关因素是社会压力，通过过去的创伤性事件和近期负面生活事件来衡量。
华裔美国人精神病流行病学研究提供了一个难得的机会，来调查单一亚裔美国人族群华裔美国人内部的异质性，并确定华裔美国人中可能最易出现心理健康问题的亚组。
