This project examined the relationship between three measures of psychiatric morbidity and the utilization of insured health services. The criteria used to define psychiatric morbidity were as follows:
• Self-ratings on the Cornell Medical Index of a randomly selected sample of the population.
• Medical care insurance diagnosis of psychiatric illness by the community's physicians.
• Psychiatric diagnosis by a psychiatrist.
In all instances psychiatric morbidity was related to ‘high utilization’ of insured services, using dollar expense as the criteria. The significance of this is discussed.
BrodmanK., ErdmannA. J.Jr., and WolfeH. G.: Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaire (Manual), revised 1953, New York, N.Y., Cornell University Medical College.
3.
BrodmanK., ErdmannA. J.Jr., LorgeF., WolfeH. G.: The Cornell Medical Index: An adjunct to the medical interview, J.A.M.A.140:530–534. 1949.
4.
Brodman: The Cornell Medical Index Health questionnaire #2 as a diagnostic instrument.J.A.M.A.145: 152–157. 1951.
5.
CassellW. A., GrunbergF., and FraserH. N.: The discharged chronic patient's utilization of health resources.Canad. Psychiat. Ass. J.,13, 23–29. 1968.
6.
CummingsN. A., and FolletteW. T.: Psychiatric services and medical utilization in a prepaid health plan setting: Part II.Med. Care (Philadelphia)6, 31–41. 1968.
7.
DohrenwendB. P., and DohrenwendB. S.: The problem of validity in field studies of psychological disorder.J. Abnorm. Psychol70, 52–69. 1965.
8.
EimerlT. S.: The keeping of records in general practice.J. Coll. Gen. Pract.,3, 411. 1960.
9.
FolletteW., and CummingsN. A.: Psychiatric services and medical utilization in a prepaid health plan setting: Part I.Med. Care (Philadelphia)5, 25–35. 1967.
10.
FraserH. N.: Socioeconomic status, morbidity and utilization of health resources. Unpublished M.A. Thesis — University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, 1968.
11.
GlasscoteR., SandersD., ForstezerH. M., and FoleyA. R.: The Community Mental Health Centre: An Analysis of Existing Models.Washington, D.C.Joint Information Service, 1964, pp. 67–81.
12.
HollenderM. H.: :A study of patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital after pelvic operations.Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec.79: 498–503. 1960.
13.
HollingsheadA. B., and RedlichF. C.: Social Class and Mental Illness.New York: John Wiley & Sons.1958.
14.
IvesG. A.: Rural community psychiatry.Canada's Mental Health12: 1–3. 1964.
15.
IvesG. A.: The Yorkton Psychiatric Centre.Amer. J. Psychiat.122: 1017–1020, 1966.
16.
IzumiK.: The Yorkton Psychiatric Centre II —- Special consideration of design.Ment. Hosp.16: 86–89. 1965.
17.
JonesD. A., and MilesH. L.: The Anglesey Mental Health Survey, in Problems and Progress in Medical Care. Ed. McLachlanG. Nuffield, Provincial Hospital Trusts, London.
18.
LawsonF. S.: The Yorkton Psychiatric Centre I Saskatchewan's fiirst regional mental health facility,Ment. Hosp.16: 85–86. 1965.
19.
LeightonA. H., LeightonO. C., and DanleyR. A.: Validity of mental health surveys.Canad. Psychiat. Ass. J.2: 167–178. 1966.
20.
PetrasJ. W., and CurtisJ. E.: The current literature on social class and mental disease in America: Critique and bibliography.Behav. Sci.13: 382–398. 1968.
21.
The Rand Corp., A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates.The Free Press, Glencoe, Ill.,1955.
22.
RawnsleyK., and LondonJ. B.: Factors influencing the referral of patients to psychiatrists by general practitioners.Brit. J. Prev. Soc. Med.16: 174–182. 1962.
23.
ShepherdM., CooperB., BrownA. C., and KaltonG. W.: Psychiatric Illness in General Practice.London, Oxford University Press.1966.
24.
SmithC. M., and McKerracherD. G.: The family doctor in a programme of comprehensive psychiatric care.New Aspects of the Mental Health Services. Ed. FreemanH., and FarndaleJ., Oxford, Pergamon Press. 1967.
25.
ThurlowH. J.: General susceptibility to illness: a selective review.Canad. Med. Ass. J.97, 1397–1404. 1967.
