psychiatric case register
A systematic record of all individuals receiving psychiatric care within a defined geographic area and time period.
Full Definition
A psychiatric case register is a comprehensive epidemiological tool that maintains continuous records of all psychiatric contacts and treatments within a specified catchment area. These registers capture longitudinal data on service utilization, diagnostic patterns, and treatment outcomes, enabling researchers to track disease burden, service gaps, and population mental health trends over time. Case registers are particularly valuable for studying service delivery patterns and calculating true incidence and prevalence rates in defined populations.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from simple case series which lack population denominators.
In Context
- "The Camberwell psychiatric case register provided 25 years of continuous surveillance data." — longitudinal study description
- "Linkage with the national psychiatric case register revealed previously undetected service contacts." — data methodology section