The Dubai Community Psychiatric Survey: I. Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates

This paper describes the methods and initial sociodemographic findings of the first community psychiatric survey from an Arabian country. It was carried out on a sample of women in Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates. Psychiatric status was established using the PSE-ID-CATEGO system. The overall prevalence of disorder in these women was a high 22.7% (13.7% depressive disorders; 7% anxiety states). There was little association with sociodemographic variables, except that prevalence was high in divorced, widowed and separated women, polygamously married women and single parents. The high prevalence may be related to the rapid sociocultural change in this society. Future reports will examine the influence of sociocultural change at an individual level.