Affective Disorders Among Women in the General Population and Among Those Referred to Psychiatrists Clinical Features and Demographic Correlates

Abstract

In a study comparing depressive disorders detected in a field survey (n = 90) with patients referred to a specialist treatment setting (n = 63), the clinical features and demographic correlates of ‘cases' of affective disorders proved to be similar. However, those in treatment settings appeared to have more people achieving definite case status. Hospital-referred cases were also more likely than community cases to be older and single, and this difference persisted even after controlling for chronicity of symptoms.