Mental disorders on the island of Formentera:: prevalence in general population using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN)

Background: The aims of this two-stage epidemiological study were: to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the general population of the island of Formentera (Balearic Isles, Spain): to provide reference data for subsequent health care planning, and to test a relatively new assessment instrument, the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), in a community study. Method: It was designed as a cross-sectional two-stage community study using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) at stage one (N = 697), and the SCAN at stage two (N = 242). Results: Estimated prevalence of disorders was 21.4% according to the ICD-IO classification system. Neurotic and somatoform disorders were the most prevalent, followed by substance-related, sleep and mood disorders. Total prevalence of mental disorders showed no significant differences according to sex. As regards age, mood and anxiety disorders were most prevalent in the 30- to 50-year age group, and sleep disorders were more prevalent in the older group. Conclusion: Prevalences of mental disorders in Formentera are higher than those found in two-stage studies in other countries and similar to those found in most studies in Spain, despite the variety of the instruments used.