Psychiatric Disorders in General Practice: The Experience of an Island Community
MILTON MAZER M.D.1
1 Director, Martha's Vineyard Guidance Center, Edgartown, Mass. 02539, and Assistant Psychiatrist, Massachusetts General Hospital
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the five general practices of an island community over a three-month period is reported. While the usual higher female prevalence rate was found, a significant finding was an extremely high rate in women in the 25-34-year-old age group, almost 12 percent of women in that age group having consulted their family doctor for a psychiatric disorder. Since women of this age group are heavily involved in the rearing of children, the public health implications of this finding are significant.
