Abstract
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.