Rather than attempting to review the descriptive epidemiology of mental disorders, this book gives a much more dynamic exposition of the thinking and techniques used to establish it. Starting out by tracing the brief history of psychiatric epidemiology, the book describes the study of risk factors as causes of mental disorders. Subsequent sections discuss approaches to investigation of biologic, genetic or social causes and the statistical analysis of study results. The book concludes by following some of the problems involved in the search for genetic causes of mental disorders, and more complex causal relationships.