[First multicenter epidemiological research using the Latin American Guide for Psychiatric Diagnosis (GLADP) in...

Classification systems usually employed in clinical investigation as well as for epidemiological purposes present different characteristics. In latinamerican region it has been developed a Guide called Guía Latinoamericana para el Diagnóstico de las Enfermedades Mentales (GLADP), originally based on the one proposed by the World Health Organization with several modifications. It has been employed in investigations performed in Mexico and Peru. In this work we inform the epidemiological results obtained by the employment of the GLADP in a sample of 374 patients consulting in public hospitals or mental health services in different regions of Argentina. Most prevalent disorders were anxiety and mood disorders (depressive disorders), psychosis and addictive disorders. Among context factors reported as having impact in mental health status, the more frequently mentioned was the family. 25% of the sample was unemployed. An original characterist of GLADP is the inclusion of qualitative data. By the qualitative interview it became clear a relationship between occupation and education status and quality of life, being more favorable for proffesionals and business men in comparison with people employed by a third party. People with tertiary or secundary studies reported also a better quality of life than people with primary studies. These preliminary data, obtained for the first time by the employment of the GLADP in Argentina should be further confirmed.