A nationwide epidemiological study of mental disorders in Korea

Epidemiological studies in Korea on mental illness began about four decades ago by Choi and Yoo. This was followed by more than 25 papers. Interviews by psychiatrists were not randomly selected samples. Consistent diagnostic tools were not used except by Yeon et al. The definition of prevalence was not definite and, therefore, not comparable. The research was confined to major psychoses such as schizophrenia, manic depressive illnesses, mental retardation and epilepsy. Most of the studies were performed in rural areas only. The present study was designed to meet the above described criteria as well as testing the applicability of Diagnostic Interview Schedule-III (DIS-III) in Korea. In order to accomplish those goals the Korean version of DIS-III was constructed and the lifetime prevalence of mental disorders was studied both in urban (Seoul) and rural areas.