Dysproporcja pomiędzy częstością występowania zaburzeń lękowych i depresyjnych w populacji mieszkańców powiatu żywieckiego a korzystaniem z psychiatrycznej opieki zdrowotnej

Introduction: The aim of the article is to estimate the disproportion between the incidence of anxiety disorders and depression in adult population of the Żywiec Poviat and the use of mental health care. Material and methods: An anonymous survey was conducted in a randomly selected group of adults living in the Żywiec Poviat. 1659 completed questionnaires were obtained. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used as a screening tool. The data were compared with the number of outpatient and hospitalized people in psychiatric health care facilities in the poviat. Results: The study released a significant disproportion between the occurrence of anxiety disordes and treatment for this reason. In outpatient settings 1.23% of people suffering from anxiety used medical care, 0.06% were hospitalized. A similar situation applies to the disproportion between the occurrence of depression and treatment for this reason. Among people whose symptoms implement the criteria of depressive episode, 1.11% used outpatient treatment and 0.14% were hospitalized. Conclusion: Prevelence of anxiety disorders and depression and related to this health needs in examinated population significantly exceeds the real use of psychiatric healthcare. Constant underestimation of health needs in the field of psychiatry can be a result and one of the causes of this phenomenon. For better planning of activities in the field of health policy, it is necessary to perform epidemiological studies that reveal scale of the problem.