Prevalence of psychiatric disorder and the need for psychiatric care in Northern Ireland

BACKGROUND: This is the first report on the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders and needs for psychiatric treatment in the District of Derry, Northern Ireland. AIMS: To assess the prevalence of psychiatric disorder and the needs for treatment in the general population of Derry. METHOD: The sample was drawn at random with a two-phase design using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) during the first phase, and the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) with the Needs for Care Assessment (NFCAS-C) in the second phase. RESULTS: The second phase (n=307) gave a weighted 1-month prevalence of hierarchically ordered ICD-10 psychiatric disorders of 7.5% and a 1-year prevalence of 12.2%. The equivalent prevalences for depressive disorders were 2.4% and 6.0%, respectively, and those for anxiety states were 3.5% and 3.7%. Only a quarter of needs for treatment were met, with the situation being better for depression than for anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of psychiatric disorder in Derry were even higher than those reported by a similar survey in inner London. This almost certainly reflects the very high levels of social deprivation in the District. Needs for treatment were often unmet.