THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF MENTAL-DISORDERS IN DENMARK

The first counting of mental disorders in Denmark goes back to the 19t h century, but the modern era of psychiatric epidemiology was founded in the 1930s and 1940s with population surveys by Stromgren and Fremmi ng. The second era began in 1969 with Dupont's establishment of the na tionwide Danish Psychiatric Case Register in the Department of Psychia tric Demography. Since then, a great number of studies of the epidemio logy of mental disorders has been performed, mainly concerning inpatie nt care. Major findings show that treated inpatient prevalence has dec reased in parallel with the reduction in number of beds, by approximat ely 50% to the present number of about 90 per 100,000 inhabitants 15 y ears and above. Standard mortality rates for suicide among functional psychoses has doubled over 20 years, and first admission rates among p sychotics have been almost halved. An exception is seen among eating d isorders and borderline states, which show increasing first admission rates. Catchment area surveys show total treatment prevalences ranging from approximately 3 per 100,000 adult persons in rural areas to 10 i n Copenhagen districts with high population density, with increasing f igures after the introduction of community psychiatric services. A thi rd era in psychiatric epidemiology has been centered in the Department of Psychiatric Demography, based on advanced register linkage studies aimed at etiology and studies of course and outcome, and focusing on large surveys mainly in Copenhagen and Odense.