Practical Psychiatric Epidemiology

by Prince, Martin; Stewart, Robert; Ford, Tamsin; Hotopf, Matthew

• ISBN13: 9780198515517
• ISBN10: 0198515510
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-09-18
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Epidemiology is a practical discipline involving the systematic study of health, disease and human behavior in the natural world. It aims to describe the extent and pattern of a problem; who, when and where people become ill, and then to explain these observations; why people become ill? This Practical Handbook of Psychiatric Epidemiology provides a general introduction to epidemiological techniques for psychiatric research. As demand grows for evidence based practice in psychiatry, there is increasing use of epidemiological methods for studies into causes, prognosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders; however, working in the field of mental health throws up its own particular challenges. This book explains how to adapt the tried and tested methods used in generic epidemiology to the special circumstances of psychiatric epidemiology. The result is a comprehensive introduction to the field, accessible to clinicians, in practice and in training, as well as those embarking on a career in mental health research. It will also be of interest to those from outside the sphere of mental health, interested in the special methodological difficulties encountered.

Table of Contents

Contributors	xi
Section 1 Basic principles
The development of psychiatric epidemiology	3	(10)
The Editors
Measurement in psychiatry	13	(30)
Martin Prince
Cultural issues in measurement and research	43	(22)
Vikram Patel
Ethics and research in psychiatry	65	(20)
Anthony S. Kessel
Francesca Silverton
Section 2 Study design
Introduction to epidemiological study designs	85	(12)
Tamsin Ford
Ecological and cross-level studies	97	(14)
Jan Neeleman
Cross-sectional surveys	111	(20)
Martin Prince
The case-control study	131	(24)
Matthew Hotopf
Cohort studies	155	(22)
Scott Weich
Martin Prince
Randomized controlled trials	177	(26)
Sube Banerjee
Research synthesis: systematic reviews and meta-analysis	203	(18)
Joanna Moncrieff
Section 3 Interpretation
Inference 1: chance, bias, and confounding	221	(18)
Robert Stewart
Inference 2: causation	239	(16)
Robert Stewart
Statistical methods in psychiatric epidemiology 1: a statistician's perspective	255	(20)
Michael E. Dewey
Statistical methods in psychiatric epidemiology 2: an epidemiologist's perspective	275	(16)
Martin Prince
Critical appraisal	291	(26)
Rachel Churchill
Section 4 Special topics
Genetic epidemiology 1: behavioural genetics	317	(18)
Fruhling Rijsdijk
Pak Sham
Genetic epidemiology 2: molecular genetics	335	(22)
David Collier
Tao Li
Health economics for psychiatric epidemiology	357	(20)
Daniel Chisholm
Paul McCrone
Qualitative research	377	(8)
Joanna Murray
Psychiatric epidemiology---looking to the future	385	(18)
The Editors
Index	403