Summary
The interaction between physical and mental illness present in a Spanish rural community was explored using a two-stage cross sectional survey. The GHQ and the PSE were used to detect and evaluate mental disturbances. Physical illness is measured by means of a specifically designed questionnaire, which included information obtained from the attending physician. In this community there is a significant interaction between physical and mental disease. This is demonstrated by an increase of somatic disease in the mentally ill and also of psychiatric prevalence in the somatically ill. The female predominance of mental disorders is reinforced significantly by somatic disease and tends to disappear in the state of physicial health. In addition, certain sociocultural factors such as social class, educational level, religious integration, and presence of work, played a significant but sex-specific role in the interaction between physical and mental disease.
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Vazquez-Barquero, J.L., Peha, C., Diez Manrique, J.F. et al. The influence of sociocultural factors on the interaction between physical and mental disturbances in a rural community. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 23, 195–201 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01794788
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01794788