DOI: 10.3886/icpsr08993
title: Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Survey of Mental Disorders, Wave I (Household), 1980-1985: [United States]
title: Archival Version

description: The Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) program of research
was initiated in response to the 1977 report of the President's
Commission on Mental Health. The purpose was to collect data on the
prevalence and incidence of mental disorders and on the use of and
need for services by the mentally ill. The ECA Survey is the
largest and most comprehensive survey of mental disorders ever
conducted in the United States. The scope and complexity of the
survey design were made possible because of the confluence of the
recent standardization of psychiatric diagnostic criteria and the
availability of advanced computer data processing
systems. Independent research teams at five universities (Yale,
Johns Hopkins, Washington University, Duke University, and
University of California at Los Angeles), in collaboration with
NIMH, conducted the studies with a core of common questions and
sample characteristics. The sites were areas that had previously
been designated as Community Mental Health Center catchment areas
(New Haven, CN, Baltimore, MD, St. Louis, MO, Durham, NC, and Los
Angeles, CA). The ECA encompassed a Household Survey and an
Institutional Survey at each site, with two waves of personal
interviews administered one year apart and a brief telephone interview
in between. The structured psychiatric diagnostic interview used in
the ECA was the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), version
III (with the exception of the Yale Wave I survey, which used
version II). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
3rd edition (DSM-III) diagnoses derived from the DIS include manic
episode, major depressive episode, dysthymia, bipolar disorder,
alcohol abuse or dependence, drug abuse or dependence,
schizophrenia, schizophreniform, obsessive compulsive disorder,
phobia, somatization, panic, antisocial personality, and anorexia
nervosa. The DIS elicits diagnoses across the respondent's full
life span and also indicates when symptoms appeared during the last
year (within last two weeks, last month, last six months, and last
full year). The DIS uses the Mini-Mental State Examination to
screen, when respondents appear confused, for cognitive impairment
and inability to complete the interview, and continuation by a
proxy interview.
description: Multistage probability sampling was used at each site, with
 initial sampling from geographic clusters at some sites, and household 
 and respondent samples at all sites. There was a minimum sample size at
 each site of 3,000 adults in the Household Survey, and a minimum of 500 
 residents of institutions. Elderly household residents were oversampled 
 at the New Haven, Durham, and Baltimore sites. The St. Louis site 
oversampled Blacks and the Los Angeles site oversampled Hispanics.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Survey of Mental Disorders, Wave I (Household), 1980-1985: [United States]
description: Community Mental Health Center catchment areas (defined as
geographic areas with populations of 75,000-250,000) in the United
States. A minimum population size of 200,000 was required at each site,
to enable study of specific mental disorders that have prevalence rates
below one percent in the general population. The household population
was defined as all persons 18 years or older, residing in a household
geographically located within the catchment area and having no other
usual place of residence.
description: This study is replaced by EPIDEMIOLOGIC CATCHMENT AREA STUDY,
1980-1985: [UNITED STATES] (ICPSR 6153).