Gerald N. Grob
The origins of American psychiatric epidemiology.
psychiatric epidemiology developed relatively late compared epidemiology generally nineteenth century psychiatrists although avid collectors statistics use data systematic manner impetus creation epidemiology mental illness came work late nineteenth century social scientists concerned understanding individual social behavior applying findings social problems initially helped create modern census represented radical faith quantitative research merged administrative rationality could replace politics 1920s demographic analysis institutionalized mentally ill population expanded sharply late 1930s 1940s psychiatric epidemiologists begun study role socioenvironmental variables incidence mental illness community twentieth century psychiatric epidemiologists however faced severe intellectual problem work rested descriptive rather etiological nosology consequently results epidemiological studies psychiatry often differed precisely variations design studies classification systems well subjective observations investigators ensuing disagreements among involved epidemiologic study mental illness natural consequence