ABSTRACT
Epidemiological research studies supported by the National Institute of Mental Health have begun to bridge the gaps between clinical practice and research on basic mechanisms underlying psychopathology. The basic framework of descriptive, experimental and analytic epidemiological research will include selected examples of individual research studies in these areas and related developments in research methods. The Epidemiological Catchment Area study was designed to start with a sample survey to determine the prevalence and incidence of mental disorder in a total population. The fact that an epidemiological research design was used to carry out population genetic studies gives added credence to M. Shepherd’s contention that epidemiology can serve the bridging function of integrating biological and clinical research. In order to prevent spurious correlations, epidemiological studies will be necessary to assess the frequency of putative biological correlates of mental disorders in representative samples of individuals with those disorders.
