CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON OF PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMS OF NEUROTIC DISORDERS IN OLDER-PEOPLE IN 2 COMMUNITY SAMPLES

The objective of this research was to compare the prevalence of sympto ms characteristic of neurotic disorders in two different cultural sett ings. The design was two random community samples in Liverpool (United Kingdom) and Zaragoza (Spain), of 1070 and 1080 people aged 65 and ov er. The main outcome measures were the rating of symptoms on the Geria tric Mental State and syndrome levels using the Automated Geriatric Ex amination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy. The results showed substanti al differences between the two cities in the symptomatic pattern of ph obias, but both the symptomatic and syndrome presentation of obsession al, hypochrondriacal and anxiety disorders were much more similar.