ABSTRACT
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, an investigation of psychiatric disorders in the community involving nearly 20,000 individuals, is by far the most comprehensive research yet completed on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the community. These data make it clear that psychiatric disorders represent a highly prevalent phenomenon in our society (Robins et al., 1984; Myers et al., 1984; Regier et al., 1988).
