Original Research Psychiatric Disorders and Use of Mental Health Services by Ontario Women

sychiatric illnesses such as depression and anxiety disor-ders are important health concerns. Owing to substantial morbidity and mortality, they impose a significant burden on the health care system (2,3). Traditionally, they were believed to be predominantly disorders of the middle-aged and elderly (4,5). However, several studies in Canada (6–9) and the US (10) demonstrate significantly higher rates of mental ill-ness—most notably depression and anxiety—in adolescents and young adults than in the middle-aged and elderly. Further, across all age groups, many disorders are more prevalent in women than in men—particularly, mood, anxiety, and eating disorders (4,7,10). Can J Psychiatry, Vol 47, No 9, November 2002 849 Objectives: To describe the lifetime prevalence of selected psychiatric disorders in Ontario women and to compare these estimates with use of mental health resources