Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

French

Objective:

To evaluate the usefulness of administrative data for the surveillance of mental illness in Canada using databases in the following 5 provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.

Method:

We used a population-based record-linkage analysis with data from physician billings, hospital discharge abstracts, and community-based clinics. The following diagnostic codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, were used to define cases: 290 to 319, inclusive.

Results:

The prevalence of treated psychiatric disorder was similar in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario at about 15%. The prevalence for Quebec was slightly lower at 12%. Findings from the provinces showed remarkable consistency across age and sex, despite variations in data coding. Women tended to show a higher prevalence overall of treated mental disorders than men. Prevalence increased steadily to middle age, declining in the 50s and 60s, and then increasing again after age 70 years.

Conclusions:

Provincial and territorial administrative data can provide a useful, reliable, and economical source of information for the surveillance of treated mental disorders. Such a surveillance system can provide longitudinal data at little cost to support health service provision and planning.

Keywords

surveillance administrative data psychiatric disorder

References

Rozario

Morrow-Howell

Proctor

Comparing the congruency of self-report and provider records of depressed elders' service use by provider type. Med Care. 2004;42:952–959.

Ritter

Stewart

Kaymaz

, Self-reports of health care utilization compared to provider records. J Clin Epidemiol. 2001;54:136–141.

Statistics Canada. Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2. Any measured disorder or substance dependence, by age group and sex, household population aged 15 and over, Canada excluding territories, 2002. Ottawa (ON): Statistics Canada; 2003 [cited 2009 May 14]. Available from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82–617-x/4067678-eng.htm.

Beck

Patten

. Adjustment of antidepressant utilization rates to account for major depression in remission. Compr Psychiatry. 2004;45:268–274.

National Diabetes Surveillance System. Responding to the challenge of diabetes in Canada. First report of the National Diabetes Surveillance System. Ottawa (ON): Health Canada; 2003 [cited 2007 Jul 24]. Available from: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ccdpc-cpcmc/ndss-snsd/english/pubs_reports/pdf/WEB_NDSS_English_Report-nocover.pdf.

Gilbert

Jones

Schopflocher

, Use of provincial administrative data for surveillance of mental disorders: Feasibility study. Ottawa (ON): Surveillance Division, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada; 2007.

Ontario Hospital Association, Ontario Ministry of Health, Hospital Medical Records Institute. Report of the Ontario Data Quality Reabstracting Study. Toronto (ON): Ontario Hospital Association; 1991.

Williams

Young

Inventory of studies on the accuracy of Canadian health administrative databases. Toronto (ON): Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario; 1996.

Last

Dicionary of epidemiology. A dictionary of epidemiology. Oxford (GB): Oxford University Press; 1988.

10.

Choi

. Perspectives on epidemiological surveillance in the 21st century. Chron Dis Canada. 1998;19:145–151.

11.

Murphy

Laird

Monson

, Incidence of depression in the Stirling County study: Historical and comparative perspectives. Psychol Med. 2000;30:505–514.

12.

Kessler

Berglund

Demler

, The epidemiology of major depressive disorder: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). JAMA. 2003;289:3095–3105.

13.

Starkes

Poulin

Kisely

Unmet need for the treatment of depression in Atlantic Canada. Can J Psychiatry. 2005;10:580–590.

14.

Rhodes

Lin

Mustard

. Self-reported use of mental health services vs administrative records. Should we care? Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2002;11:125–133.

15.

Regier

Narrow

Rae

, The de facto US mental nad addictive disorders service system. Epidemiologic catchment area prospective 1-year prevalence rates of disorders and services. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993;50:85–94.

16.

Kessler

Frank

Edlund

, Differential use of psychiatric outpatient services between the US and Ontario. N Engl J Med. 1997;336:551–557.

17.

Foliaki

Kokaua

Schaaf

, Twelve-month and lifetime prevalences of mental disorders and treatment contact among Pacific people in Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2006;40:924–934.

Use of Administrative Data for the Surveillance of Mental Disorders in 5 Provinces