Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R mental disorders among the homeless in Madrid: a European study using the CIDI.

The characteristics of homeless people in Europe are almost unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R/CIDI mental disorders among the homeless population of Madrid. A total of 261 homeless subjects, sampled from different sites, participated in the study. In terms of DSM-III-R lifetime rates, 50% of the sample had substance-related disorders and 35% had non-substance-related disorders. In total, 67% of the study subjects had some type of disorder. The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia (4%) was lower than reported in most previous studies. Although the mental illness pattern is similar to that observed in studies using the same diagnostic methods, the results reported here show a lower prevalence of drug abuse and schizophrenic disorders. The reasons for these cultural differences and their implications for international public health research are discussed.