title: Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R disorders in the Chile psychiatric prevalence study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although several epidemiological studies of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders have been conducted in Latin America, few of them were national studies that could be used to develop region-wide estimates. Data are presented on the prevalence of DSM-III-R disorders, demographic correlates, comorbidity, and service utilization in a nationally representative adult sample from Chile.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was administered to a stratified random sample of 2,978 individuals from four provinces representative of the country's population age 15 and older. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately one-third (31.5%) of the population had a lifetime psychiatric disorder, and 22.2% had a disorder in the past 12 months. The most common lifetime psychiatric disorders were agoraphobia (11.1%), social phobia (10.2%), simple phobia (9.8%), major depressive disorder (9.2%), and alcohol dependence (6.4%). Of those with a 12-month prevalence diagnosis, 30.1% had a comorbid psychiatric disorder. The majority of those with comorbidity had sought out mental health services, in contrast to one-quarter of those with a single disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence rates in Chile are similar to those obtained in other studies conducted in Latin America and Spanish-speaking North American groups. Comorbidity and alcohol use disorders, however, were not as prevalent as in North America.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 60-C, Concepción, Chile. bvicent@udec.cl
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kohn
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rioseco
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saldivia
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Levav
authors.forename: Silverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors