Intermediate
Technical
IVT
psychiatric cumulative incidence
The proportion of a population that develops a psychiatric disorder over a specified time period.
Full Definition
The proportion of an initially unaffected population that develops a specific psychiatric disorder during a defined follow-up period. Unlike incidence rate, cumulative incidence does not account for varying observation times and is expressed as a proportion rather than a rate. It provides a measure of risk and is particularly useful for communicating population-level disorder burden to public health officials.
Usage
Usage note: Often confused with incidence rate; ensure the distinction between proportion and rate is clear in editorial contexts.
In Context
- "The study reported a psychiatric cumulative incidence of major depression of 15% over the 10-year follow-up period." — epidemiological research paper
- "Psychiatric cumulative incidence figures must be interpreted carefully when comparing across studies with different follow-up durations." — systematic review
Also known as
cumulative risk
attack rate
Contrasted with
prevalence
Don't confuse with
incidence rate
prevalence