Use of regional health administrative databases to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders and health service utilization in a Local Health Unit of Tuscany Region (Central Italy)

prevalence estimation of mental disorders and mental health services (SSM) utilization in 2011, using the administrative regional health databases (hospital discharge records, pharmaceutical prescriptions) and the Regional Database on Mental Health (SIRSM).descriptive population-based study.residents in a Local Health Unit (Florence) of Tuscany Region (Central Italy) who have access to SSM and/or to hospital departments of psychiatry/neuropsychiatry and/ or have psycholeptic/psychoanalectic prescriptions.frequencies; crude and age-standardized prevalence of patients who have access to the SSM or have admission to a hospital psychiatric ward or have psycholeptic/psychoanalectic prescriptions.a high prevalence (11.2%) of residents had at least one contact with health services for mental health problems, mostly (84%) for drug prescriptions only (20% of patients had a unique prescription during 2011). Depression is the most important disease (9.8% of residents had at least one prescription of antidepressants); mood disorders are the most common cause of adult access to SSM (35%-36%) and hospitalization in psychiatric ward (about 36% of admissions). Only a small proportion (about 15%) of patients with mental health problems have access to the SSM, presumably those with more severe diseases.results show that the information of the SIRSM database, together with pharmaceutical prescriptions (psycholeptic/ psychoanalectic) and hospitalisation in psychiatric ward, is a useful tool for assessing the prevalence of mental health problems in a population.