A psychiatric nurse is assessing the need for mental health services at the clinic. When estimating the number of patients with bipolar disorder in the community, the nurse places highest priority on which data-gathering technique?

Question

a. Community forums that solicit data shared by patients and families
b. Epidemiological studies that indicate incidence and prevalence of disease
c. Use of key informants, such as local social service personnel, nurses, and physicians
d. Statistics from local public reports about race, marital status, population density, and substance abuse

Answer 1

B
Epidemiological studies examine the incidence (number of new cases) and prevalence (number of current existing cases) of a disease or disorder in a defined population over a specified period. The nurse who is trying to plan for services would find these data very helpful. The remaining options refer to other methods of assessing community needs, but they are not as well suited to gathering the data identified by this question.