Department of Neuro-Paychiatry, college of Medicine, S.N.U. has studied the incidence of mental disorders in Korea (6 islands and 5 aggricultural areas, total population 122, 186) and the actual status of the patients by the intensive census visit method from 1960 to 1966.
The summary of the results are as follows.
1. The general incidence and the corrected incidence applied correspondingly to Weinberg’s abriged method are as follows:
General incidence and Corrected incidence (Weinberg’s method) Most No. of General affe- Related Correc-patients incidene cted No. of ted (%) range Popu- incidence of age lation (%) Schizo- 276M 157 0.226 16-40 47110 0.586 phrenia F 119 21-40 41087 0.672 M.D.R. 21M 17 0.0172 21-50 36010 0.058 F 4 16-50 42033 0.050 Epilepsy 254M 150 0.208 5-30 69620 0.365 F 104 5-20 83478 0.304 General 1M 1 0.0008 31-50 27156 0.0037 pareses F 0 1.0126 Total 552 0.452% 1.0297
2. Comparing with the results of the foreign countries, the incidence of schizophrenia is not so different from the average. but the incidence of epilepsy is higher than other countries, and manic-depressive reaction and general paresis are much lower than those of other countries.
3. The most susceptible age of schizophrenia is young and middle age groups.
manic-depressive reaction is middle age group and epilepsy is childhood and young age groups.
4. Premorbid personality seemed to have significant relations with the mental disorders.
5. In general, chronic cases predominate over fresh ones.
6. Asthenic body type in schizophrenics are about one half and pyknic body type in manic-depressive reaction are 38%.
7. The hereditary loadings are to be 25% in schizophrenia, 33% in manic-depressive reaction and 15% in epilepsy.
8. The religions are found to be 57.9% in noreligion, 23.4% in Christianity, 10.5% in others and 8.2% in Buddhism. But the religion seems to be not significant meaning to the incidence.
9. Patients of primary school and illiteracy are predominant in number, But considering the ratio of the educational level of the patients to that of the general population, the incidence increase slightly as the educational level becomes higher.
10. There are a few failure of marrital life because of mental disorders. The reasons seemed to have the tendency following the local native customs related to the social, cultural and family system of Korea.
11. They have been treated by herb doctor in 20.2%, by superstious treatment in 15.1% by modern physician only in 10.7%.
12. The emigrants have higher incidence than the none emigrants.
13. Sixty-three percent of total patients could maintain social and/or home life and 37% of the patients have to be cared. Also 53.4% of schizophrenics had to be cared.
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