[An epidemiological study on mental health in a health area]

To identify the prevalence of psychological abnormalities in the adult population of the Valdefierro Health Area, we carried out an epidemiological study following the methodology of the cross sectional two-phase study. A random sample of 400 individuals, stratified for age and sex, was selected from the population over 15 years of age. In a first phase, the GHQ positive individuals underwent the semistructured interview Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS). The prevalence of psychological distress detected by the GHQ questionnaire was 13.4%. There was a significant association between psychological distress and female gender, educational level, working status, marital status and use of health care services. 42 of the 51 GHQ positive cases (82%) were considered as psychiatric conditions by the CIS. This represents a 11% prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the evaluated sample.