Use of psychiatric facilities in the Upper Bavarian follow-up field study.

Utilization of psychiatric facilities by non-institutionalized persons aged 20 years and older was examined. Data were based on the representative community sample of the Upper Bavarian Follow-up Field Study, the original sample size being 1668 persons. In the 5-year follow-up 1384 (83.0%) subjects were interviewed; 80 subjects (4.8%) had died meanwhile. The follow-up sample contained 44 people who refused the first interview and agreed to participate at the follow-up. The 5-year prevalence of mental illness according to the definition used was 31.4%. The rate for psychiatric treatment (in- or outpatient) was 8.5%. We analyzed which people with mental illness seek help from professionals in psychiatric hospitals, from psychiatrists in private practices and psychosocial services, according to type of diagnosis, course of disorder (incidence, remission, chronic), sociodemographic data and psychosocial factors.