title: A community study of mental disorders among four aboriginal groups in Taiwan.
abstract: In this paper background, objectives, methodology and a few preliminary findings of a comparative epidemiological study of mental disorders among four aboriginal groups in Taiwan are presented. The study includes both a cross-sectional sample survey (N = 993) and prospective cohort studies involving psychoses, minor psychiatric morbidity, alcoholism, suicide, and accidental death. The total response rate to the sample survey was 98.3%; respondents were found to be representative. A preliminary analysis found very high rates of death from suicide, accidents and chronic liver and lung disease with a previous history of alcoholism in many of these deaths. Implications of these findings and studies of risk factors of all these health problems and their relationships are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, ROC.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D002423:Cause of Death; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D044469:Racial Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology