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Detecting Regional Clusters of Mental Disorder Prevalence in Ukraine (309609)
*Alina Barylsky, Smith College*Holly Bossart, Boise State University
Deric Liang, The Pennsylvania State University
Keywords: Kulldorff, psychiatric epidemiology, spatial epidemiology, scan statistic
In Ukraine, one in three individuals experience a DSM-IV disorder over their lifetime, ranking among the highest compared to other countries. Previous studies found that living in Eastern Ukraine is a risk factor for mental disorders, and regionality informs differences in religion, language, and suicide ideation. Strong regional differences and a high incidence of disorder motivate the need to study the connection between region and mental disorder prevalence. Our research aims to answer the questions: what regions of Ukraine have a higher than expected, nonrandom prevalence of mental disorders? How do these clusters relate to Ukraine’s historical boundaries, political shifts and cultural context? We utilize nationally representative data from the 2002 World Mental Health Survey and the Kulldorff spatial scan statistic to detect where clusters of disease exist. Our work importantly introduces geographic epidemiology of mental illness in a former Soviet Union country and identifies areas with a considerable need for targeted intervention approaches.