title: The NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area program. Historical context, major objectives, and study population characteristics.
abstract: The National Institute of Mental Health multisite Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) program is described in the context of four previous psychiatric epidemiologic surveys that included a combined total of 4,000 subjects from Stirling County, the Baltimore Morbidity Study, Midtown Manhattan, and the New Haven third-wave survey. The ECA program is distinguished by its sample size of at least 3,500 subjects per site (about 20,000 total); the focus on Diagnostic Interview Schedule--defined DSM-III mental disorders; the one-year reinterview-based longitudinal design to obtain incidence and service use data; the linkage of epidemiologic and health service use data; and the replication of design and method in multiple sites. Demographic characteristics of community and sample populations are provided for New Haven, Conn, Baltimore, and St Louis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003237:Connecticut; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D008396:Maryland; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D009315:National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.); D009519:New York City; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States; D014482:United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration