Epidemiologic Catchment Area

Regier DA, Farmer ME, Rae DS, et al Comorhidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug abuse results from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (EGA) Smdy. JAMA 264 2511-2518, 1990... 

Narrow WE, Regier DA, Rae DS, et al (1993). Use of services by persons with mental and addictive disorders. Findings from the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. 

Nelson, E., Rice, J. (1997). Stability of diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study. American Journal of Psychiatry,... 

Robins, L. N., Locke, B. Z.,. Regier, D. A. (1991). An overview of psychiatric disorders in America. In L. N. Robins D. A. Regier (Eds.), Psychiatric disorders in America The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study (pp. 328-366). New York Free Press. 

Eaton WW, Dryman A, Weissman MM (1991) Panic and phobia. In Robins LN, Regier DA (eds) Psychiatric disorders in America. The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study. The Free Press, New York, pp 155-179... 

Regier DA, Narrow WE, Rae DS (1990) The epidemiology of anxiety disorders. The Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) experience. J Psychiatr Res 24(Suppl 2) 3-14 Regier DA, Farmer ME, Rae DS, Mayers JK, Kramer M, Robins LN, George LK, Karno M, Locke BZ (1993) One-month-prevalence of mental disorders in the United States and sociodemographic characteristics The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 88 35-47... 

Karno, M. and Golding, J. (1991) Obsessive compulsive disorder. In Robins L. and Regrer, D.A., eds. Psychiatric Disorders in America The Epidemiological Catchment Area Study. New York The... 

Bourdon, K.H., Rae, D.S., Locke, B.Z., Narrow, W.E., and Reiger, D.A. (1992) Estimating the prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adults from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey. Public Health Rep 107 663-668. 

Alcohol is one of the most commonly consumed drugs in the world and has been used by humans since the Stone Age. It is anxiolytic for this reason, it has been used not only for relaxation purposes but also by people with anxiety disorders to suppress their symptoms. Between 10% and 20% of agoraphobic patients are alcohol dependent. Thyrer et al. [1986] reported a 36% prevalence of alcoholism among socially phobic patients entering an anxiety disorders clinic, and [according to population studies] 20%-80% of people with posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] are dependent on alcohol. Sierles et al. [1983], in their study of Vietnam War veterans with PTSD, found that 64% were alcohol dependent. Since the Epidemiological Catchment Area study estimated the lifetime prevalence of PTSD to be 1% in the United States population, it is clear that self-medication with alcohol for anxiety symptoms will have a major influence on the development of alcohol dependency [Regier et al. 1990]. 

Dryman A, Eaton WW Affective symptoms associated with the onset of major depression in the community findings from the US National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. Acta Psychiatr Scand 84 1-5, 1991... 

The Epidemiologic Catchment Area study found that MDD has a 1-month prevalence of 2.2% and a lifetime prevalence of 5.8% in Americans 18 years of age and older (4). However, the most recent estimate from the National Comorbidity Survey is that the 1-year prevalence rate for unipolar major depression and dysthymia is 10.3% among community residents 15 to 54 years of age (5), which translates into approximately 27 million Americans suffering from either condition in a given year. 

Johnson and co-workers (41) found that the lifetime rate of suicide attempts with uncomplicated panic disorder was about 7%, which is consistently higher than that of the general population without a psychiatric disorder (i.e., about 1%). The researchers concluded that panic disorder, either uncomplicated or as a co-morbid illness, led to a risk of suicide attempts comparable with those of major depression ( co-morbid or uncomplicated). Their data were derived from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study, with a probability sample of more than 18,000 adults living in five United States communities. 

Regier D, Farmer M, Rae D, et al. One-month prevalence of mental disorders in the United States and sociodemographic characteristics the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1993 88 35-47. 

According to the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study (1990), anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric conditions in the United States... 

Regier DA, Narron WE, Rae DS. The epidemiology of anxiety disorders the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (EGA) experience. J Psychiatr Res 1990 24(Suppl 2) 3-14. 

Helzer JE, Robins LN, McEvoy L. Post-traumatic stress disorder in the general population findings of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey. N Engi J Med 1987 317 1630-1634. 

Robins, L.N., and Regier, D.A. (1991) Psychiatric disorders in America the epidemiologic catchment area study. New York, The Free Press (Macmillan, Inc.)... 

Swanson J, Holzer C, III, Ganju V, Tsutumo Jono R. 1990. Violence and psychiatric disorder in the community Evidence from the epidemiologic catchment area survey. Hosp Community Psychiatry 41 761-770. 

Messias E, Kirkpatrick B. 2001. Summer birth and deficit schizophrenia in the epidemiological catchment area study. J Nerv Ment Dis 189 608-612. 

Suspected risk factors for obsessive-compulsive disorder were investigated in a prospective epidemiological study, using data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area surveys (1980-1984) (176). Users of both cocaine and marijuana were at increased risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder compared with non-users of illicit drugs, but cocaine use alone was not associated with an increased risk, within the limited sample size. 

Eaton WW, Kramer M, Anthony JC, Dryman A, Shapiro S, Locke BZ (1989) The incidence of specific DIS/DSM-III mental disorders Data from the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. Acta Psychiatr Scand 79 163-178. 

Shapiro S, Skinner EA, Kessler LG, Von Korff M, German PS, Tischler GL, Leaf PJ, Benham L, Cottier L, Regier DA (1984) Utilization of health and mental health services. Three Epidemiologic Catchment Area sites. Arch Gen Psychiatry 41 971-978. 

Note Seafood consumption is based on disappearance data calculated as catch plus imports minus exports. Prevalence rates of major depression are from the Epidemiological Catchment Area Study, with the exception of Japan, as described in Hibbeln (1998). Results of a simple persons linear regression that includes all countries is (r = -0.85. p < 0.0005) and that excludes Japan (r=-0.74, p <0.03). These data do not demonstrate a causal relationship between seafood consumption and lower prevalence rates of major depression. 

According to the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study, the U.S. lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia ranges from 0.6% to 1.9%, with an average of approximately 1%. With only a few possible exceptions, the worldwide prevalence of schizophrenia is remarkably similar among all cultures. Schizophrenia most commonly has its onset in late adolescence or early adulthood and rarely occurs before adolescence or after the age of 40 years. Although the prevalence of schizophrenia is equal in males and females, the onset of illness tends... 

Helzer, J. E. et al (1987). Post-traumatic stress disorder in the general population Findings of the epidemiologic catchment area survey. New England Journal of Medicine 511 1630. ... 

Regier, D. A., Narrow, W. E., Rae, D. S., Manderscheid, R. W., Locke, B. Z., Goodwin, F. K. (1993). The de facto U.S. mental and addictive disorders service system. Epidemiologic catchment area prospective 1-year prevalence rates of disorders and services. Archives of General Psychiatry, 50, 85-94. 

---