Pattern Of Psychiatric Morbidity Research Articles

Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities and cognitive dysfunction among chronic kidney disease patients in a general hospital

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a profound clinical challenge, not only affecting physical health but also significantly impacting mental well-being. The complex interplay between CKD and psychiatric morbidities remains understudied. Aim: To address the existing gap by investigating the prevalence and patterns of psychiatric morbidity and cognitive dysfunction among CKD patients. Materials and Methods: This study adopted a cross-sectional and hospital-based study design. It included 72 patients diagnosed with CKD who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Structured clinical interviews, validated assessment tools (GHQ-12, HAD-S, AUDIT, Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III), and a proforma gathered data on socio-demographic factors, illness severity, treatment history, and psychiatric history. Results: 70.1% of participants exhibited psychological distress, indicating a high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity. Anxiety disorders were prevalent, affecting 58.1% of participants, while depression affected 32.3% (12.9% mild, 20.8% moderate, 4.8% severe). Cognitive impairment varied with CKD severity, with Stage 3 showing better scores than Stage 4, and hemodialysis patients exhibiting the most significant decline. Conclusion: This study underscores the substantial burden of psychiatric morbidity and cognitive dysfunction in CKD patients within a general hospital setting. Early identification and integrated interventions in mental health care are crucial for improving CKD patient outcomes and well-being.

Prevalence of Psychiatric Morbidity and Substance Use in Different Social Mobility Workers

Background: Social mobility workers play crucial roles in community-based activities aimed at societal development, yet their mental health and substance use patterns remain understudied. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and substance use among social mobility workers in Bangladesh to inform targeted interventions. Objective: To assess the prevalence and patterns of psychiatric morbidity and substance use among social mobility workers in Bangladesh. Method: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted across four divisionss of Bangladesh, focusing on reverse migrants—individuals employed in Dhaka, Sylhet, Rajshahi, and Chittagong for at least six months and currently residing in temporary shelter homes. A random sample of 100 subjects, aged 18 years or older, were enrolled. Data were collected through questionnaires covering diagnostic categories and substance use patterns, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests. Results: The study revealed significant demographic distributions among respondents, with 67.2% falling within the 21–35 years age range, 25.4% in the 36–50 years group, and 4.1% and 3.3% in the ≤20 years and >50 years categories, respectively. Employment duration showed the highest percentage for durations between 7 and 12 months (29.5%) and exceeding 60 months (23.0%), while marital status indicated a predominance of married respondents (78.7%), followed by single (20.5%) and separated/widowed individuals (0.8%). Among social mobility workers, Community Health Workers constituted the largest group (20%), followed by Social Workers (15%) and Education Volunteers (12%), with other categories ranging from 5% to 10%. Additionally, substance use patterns varied, with alcohol being the most prevalent (21%), followed by tobacco (35.5%), cannabis (2.5%), and cannabis-ganja/charas (0.7%) over a lifetime. Anxiety disorders were the most prevalent psychiatric condition (30%), followed by ..........

PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY AND MARITAL SATISFACTION IN SPOUSES OF PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE SYNDROME

Background: Prevalence of alcohol dependence in men has been increasing worldwide, particularly in India. Alcohol dependence syndrome appears to be associated with psychiatric problems specially among spouses. Understanding and addressing the effects of such psychiatric problems becomes necessary. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of psychiatric morbidity and marital satisfaction in spouses of patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Materials and Methods: 246 men with alcohol dependence syndrome and their spouses were evaluated. Marital satisfaction was assessed using the ENRICH marital satisfaction scale. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interviews (MINI) was used to screen for the possible presence of psychiatric morbidity among spouses. Severity of alcohol dependence in the husbands and consequences of drinking was assessed using Short Alcohol Dependence Data (SADD) and drinkers inventory of consequences (DrInC) respectively. Results: More than half of the spouses (57.72%) had a psychiatric disorder. Primarily mood and anxiety disorder were present. Major depressive disorder was present in 33.33%. Psychiatric morbidity among spouses was significantly associated with SADD. Significant association was found between age, education status, occupation, religion and psychiatric morbidity of spouses. Marital satisfaction score was low and conflicts between the couple was significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity of spouses. Conclusion: Psychiatric morbidity in spouses of alcohol dependent men is high, with marital satisfaction being low. Addressing these issues in spouses can improve their quality of life as they play an important role in the treatment of alcohol dependence syndrome.

Prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity in patients with first-episode acute coronary syndrome

BackgroundThe existing body of literature extensively highlights the impact of psychological determinants on the initiation of coronary heart disease. Globally, the incidence of psychiatric disorders is increasing, and India is no stranger to this trend. However, the connection between psychiatric co-morbidities and the onset of acute coronary syndrome has been relatively understudied in this region of the world.ResultsIndividuals experiencing acute coronary syndrome exhibited notably higher psychiatric morbidity compared to the control group, with an odds ratio of 4.14. Mood disorders, in particular, were the most prevalent among ACS patients, demonstrating an odds ratio of 5.023, followed by anxiety disorders with an odds ratio of 2.48.ConclusionThe findings revealed a substantial association underscoring the intricate interplay between mental and cardiovascular health emphasizing the importance of holistic healthcare approaches that consider both physical and psychological well-being, in the context of cardiovascular diseases. Further research in this area can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the links between mental health and cardiovascular outcomes, potentially informing targeted interventions and improving overall patient care.

Prevalence and Pattern of Psychiatric Morbidity among People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Kano

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus/ Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), has remained a disease of public health concern, with the largest burden being found in sub Saharan Africa. The advent of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has significantly reduced the mortality of the disease, thereby transforming it to a chronic disorder, with significant co-morbid psychiatric sequalae.
 Objectives: To determine the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity among PLWHA attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.
 Materials and methods: This was a cross sectional study of adult patients with HIV/AIDS attending outpatient clinic at the S.S. Wali Virology Centre of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital who gave informed consent. Systematic random sampling technique was used.Patients aged 18years and above who had been on ARV drugs for at least one year were included, while those who had a medical emergency and needed immediate attention were excluded.Socio demographic characteristics were obtained using a socio-demographic questionnaire and psychiatric morbidity was assessed with the MINI International Neuropsychiatry Interview.
 Results: A total of 420 participants were recruited in the study with a male to female ratio of 1:1.5 and mean age of 40.4±10.0 years. The prevalence of a psychiatric disorder was 22.1% out of whom 5.0% had more than one psychiatric diagnosis. Major depression was the most common (11%) psychiatric disorder. Generalized Anxiety disorder, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse accounted for 7.6%, 5.5%, 2.4% and 1.7% of psychiatric disorders respectively.
 Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders are common in PLWHA, with major depression being the commonest.

Patterns of psychiatric morbidity among tribal patients in a tertiary referral hospital of Manipur

Background: The epidemiological data regarding the prevalence rate of mental illness among tribal population are silent in India, in spite of having the largest tribal population globally. There is limited knowledge of the actual mental morbidity among the tribal people of Manipur. The present study aims to document the patterns of psychiatric morbidity among the tribal inpatients and outpatients attending the psychiatry outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital in Manipur. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was adopted in the present study. All adult tribal patients designated/notified as a tribal by the Government of Manipur residing at least 10 years in different parts of the state attending as outpatients or inpatients in the Department of Psychiatry, RIMS, Imphal during the study period were considered the study population of the present study. A total of 240 samples were collected through consecutive sampling method. Each prospective participant was explained about the study’s objectives, interviewing protocols, and confidentiality measures. Following the participant’s consent, a self-developed semi-structured pro forma and Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for adults were used for data collection. Results: The present finding undoubtedly discovered that the highest percentage of tribal patients suffering from various types of psychiatric morbidity was found to be substance-use disorder (32%), followed by generalized anxiety disorder (25%), depression (14%), schizophrenia (12%), bipolar affective disorder (10%), and psychosis NOS (7%). Regarding various types of psychiatric morbidity with respect to the gender of tribal patients, no association was found between psychosis NOS (P = 0.779) and schizophrenia (P = 0.558), whereas generalized anxiety disorder (P = 0.001), depression (P = 0.031), and bipolar affective disorder (P = 0.007) were having an association between gender. Conclusion: It was determined that the most prevalent psychiatric morbidity among Manipur’s tribal patients was substance use disorder. In addition, it was stated that 72% of them had typical common mental disorders. Female tribal patients were more likely to experience psychiatric morbidity such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, whereas male tribal patients were more likely to experience opioid dependence syndrome, alcohol dependence syndrome, and cannabis-induced psychiatric disorders. The result of the study would help improve the clinical management and successful execution of mental health treatment initiatives in areas with a predominance of tribal people.

When Do Patients with Breast Cancer Seek Help from Psycho-oncology Services? A 3-Year Retrospective Study from India

Abstract Introduction Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women. In the last few decades, the outcome of breast cancer has improved significantly in terms of survivorship and quality of life. However, it is crucial that alongside managing the disease, breast cancer services address and manage associated or co-occurring psychiatric illnesses such as acute stress reactions, procedural anxieties, adjustment issues, depression, and fear of recurrence, which leads to an overall better experience of the patient. Objective There is a paucity of data on the patterns of psychiatric morbidity in patients with breast cancer who access psycho-oncology services in a naturalistic setup outside research studies from India. The current study focused on exploring this alongside reporting the common treatment methods adopted for this group of patients. Materials and Methods Real-life data from electronic patient records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients with breast cancer accessing integrated psycho-oncology services in a tertiary care hospital in India over three 3 years (2018–2020). The various psychiatric morbidities were reported, along with associated cancer demographic data, disease characteristics, and treatment details. Results Of all the breast cancer patients (n = 338) in the calendar years 2018 to 2020 reviewed by psycho-oncology services, the most common psychiatric diagnosis was depressive illness (n = 100, 29.6%), followed by adjustment disorders (n = 68, 20.1%) and anxiety (n = 66, 19.5%). There was a significant minority with serious enduring mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (n = 11, 3.3%) and bipolar disorders (n = 14, 4.1%). On the other hand, 14.2% (n = 48) of the patients with breast cancer who attended Psycho-oncology outpatient department did not have any psychiatric syndrome. Around 16.3% of patients could be managed without a prescription for any medications and almost half of the patients needed only one psychotropic medicine. Psychological interventions were used for 45.6% of patients. Conclusion Integrated psycho-oncology services in a cancer hospital catering to patients with breast cancer help in psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, and addressing the mental health needs of patients. The treatment offered needs to be nuanced and individualized and may require a combination of psychotropic medications and psychological techniques.

Psychiatric Morbidity: A Retrospective Study From a Tertiary Care Center.

Background It is crucial to monitor the psychiatric morbidity patterns of patients to comprehend the burden and trends of mental illness, as well as to create targeted prevention and intervention strategies. Due to the significant regional differences in mental illness, the current study assessed the psychiatric morbidity pattern from a tertiary care center in Central India. Methods We conducted this retrospective record-based study using data from the outpatient department register of the Psychiatry Department of Government Bundelkhand Medical College, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India. All records from January to December 2022 were included, while duplicate and incomplete records were excluded. Data from 2005 cases were finalized for analysis after considering inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data abstraction was done for age, gender, marital status, family history of any psychiatric disorder, and diagnosis (according to ICD-10) from the records. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Quantitative data were presented as means ± standard deviation (SD), whereas qualitative data were presented as frequency and percentages. The chi-square test was applied to determine the association, and p-values <0.05 were considered significant. Results The mean age of the patients was 37.2±16.9 years, where the youngest patient was of four years of age and the eldest was 85 years of age. Most patients were males (50.6%), married (61.1%), and from rural areas (71.8%). Mood (affective) disorder (32.4%) was the most common, followed by schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (20.0%), and neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (17.4%). Organic mental disorders and substance use disorders were more common in unmarried individuals and males. Females had higher rates of mood disorders and somatoform disorders, with varying age distributions. Adult personality disorder and mental retardation had equal frequencies among males and females, with different age distributions. Hyperkinetic disorder was more common in males, while headache syndrome was more common in females. Psychiatric disorders were more prevalent in the urban population, except for substance abuse and hyperkinetic disorder. Conclusion Our study highlights the types of psychiatric disorders among patients at a tertiary care center, aiding clinicians in improving care and emphasizing early detection and treatment of mental illnesses.

A Two-Phase Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity among Females with Infertility in a Tertiary Hospital in North-Western Nigeria

ABSTRACT Background: The inability of couples to conceive or infertility has been identified as a major source of psychiatric morbidity. In several studies in sub-Saharan Africa, the psychological burden, often higher among females, is mostly assessed through screening measures and hardly by diagnostic instruments. This study evaluated the prevalence and clinical pattern of psychiatric morbidity among adult female patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) infertility clinic using the two-phase survey method. Methods: In the first phase, 281 respondents were assessed using sociodemographic, clinical, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The second phase was by using the World Health Organization Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) to interview all probable cases on the GHI-12 with a score of 3 or more, and 10% of non-cases. Psychiatric diagnosis was made in accordance with the diagnostic criteria of the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Results: The point prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in this study was 29.2% with a weighted prevalence rate of 64.8% projected onto the infertile population seeking medical help within the 3-month study period. Depression (21%) was the most occurring diagnosis. Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Somatisation were diagnosed in 6% and 2% respectively. There was a significant relationship between psychiatric morbidity and age, educational status, religion, and the duration of marriage (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: About one-third of infertile women in this study had psychiatric morbidity with depression being the most prevalent diagnosis. Psychiatric morbidity was significantly associated with increasing age, high educational attainment, religion and longer duration of marriage. The study demonstrated the need to include Consultation-Liaison Mental Health Practitioners in the management of women with infertility in order to meet their unmet mental health needs.

A Prospective Study on Patterns of Psychiatric Morbidity in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India

A Prospective Study on Patterns of Psychiatric Morbidity in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India

Psychiatric morbidity among adult patients at the medical and surgical emergency departments of a Nigerian teaching hospital

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity in patients seen at a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital's medical and surgical emergency department.Method: A two-stage cross-sectional descriptive study used a systematic sampling of all consenting patients admitted into the medical and surgical emergency. Six hundred and three patients who met the inclusion criteria and completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) were analyzed. Patients who met the cut-off score of 3 or more on the GHQ-12 and a 20% random sample with GHQ-12 score &lt;3 were further subjected to a definite diagnostic assessment using the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview and were diagnosed according to the 10th version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria.Result: The mean age of respondents was 45±19 years, 63.3% were males, and 71.8% were married. Patients at the medical emergency constituted 53.2%. The weighted prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among medical emergency patients was 21.5% and 17.4% for patients at the surgical emergency. Depressive disorder was the commonest in both wards.Conclusion: Some patients presenting to medical and surgical emergencies have co-existing psychiatric disorders. Conscious efforts should be made to recognize psychiatric disorders among patients with physical illnesses, improving their quality of care and contributing to better outcomes.

Pattern of psychiatric morbidity and somatic symptoms in a family medicine clinic of a University Teaching Hospital in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria

Introduction: Unexplained distressing bodily complaints like localised heaviness in the body, tingling, heat, pain and crawling sensations, unattributable to physical pathology and psychiatric morbidity, are common among patients that attend Family Medicine Clinic. Objectives: The study assessed patterns of psychiatric morbidity and somatisation symptoms Family Medicine Clinic of a University Teaching Hospital in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 81 somatising patients were part of a case-control study, selected by a consecutive sampling of 89 patients at the Family Medicine Clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. Data was collected using the PHQ-15 and MINI plus English Version 6.0 and analysed with SPSS 21. Results: Seventy-six (93.3%) of the participants had psychiatric diagnoses. The most prevalent symptoms were heat sensations (75.3%), pain sensations (61.7%), crawling sensations (51.9%), heaviness (46.9%) and tingling/paresthesia (29.6%). The mean age at onset was 32.99 years. The mean duration was 6.07 years (±7.58). The study revealed that 76 (93.3%) participants had psychiatric diagnoses, and somatisation disorder was the most prevalent psychiatric disorder 71(87.7%). Conclusion: Knowledge of the patterns of somatisation symptoms and comorbid psychiatric conditions is vital for the effective management of these patients.

Detained Persons Incarcerated for the First Time and Needing Acute Psychiatric Care: Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics.

Among detained persons, those incarcerated for the first time (FTI: first time incarceration) are known to present long-standing psychological vulnerability but also suffer significant deterioration of their mental health during the first year following imprisonment. Whether the patterns of psychiatric morbidity differ in FTI cases compared to cases with repeated and long term incarceration (RLTI) is still a matter of debate. We examined the sociodemographic and clinical differences between a subgroup of FTI vs. one of RLTI in a series of 139 randomly selected detained persons admitted to an acute psychiatric ward located in the central prison of Geneva, Switzerland. Fisher exact, unpaired Student t and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to explore sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status, religion, knowledge of French, education) and clinical (psychiatric outpatient care, suicidal behavior, psychiatric diagnosis) differences between the two groups. Subsequently, univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to detect the variables associated with FTI. The proportion of women was significantly higher in the FTI compared to the RLTI group. FTI cases were also more frequently separated or divorced, with less frequent religious affiliation. 16.9% of FTI cases but only 1.3% of RLTI cases had a clinical diagnosis of depression. In multiple regression models, female sex and lower religious affiliation rate were associated with FTI status. Among diagnostic categories, depression was strongly related to FTI status both in univariate and multivariable models. Importantly, this was not the case for adjustment disorders, previous history of psychiatric care and suicidal behavior. Our observations support the assumption that FTI cases with lower affective support, less religious investment and without psychiatric care prior to imprisonment are particularly vulnerable to depressive illness.

Pattern And Prevalence Of Psychiatry Morbidity Among Subjects Attended Psychiatric Outpatient Department In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Northern Telangana

Abstract Background: Mental health problem is a major public health issue all over the world including India. In India, mental disorders are the leading contributors to significant morbidity and disability amongst those affected. With changing health patterns among Indians, mental behavior and substance use disorders are coming to the forefront in health care delivery systems. Objective: This study was aimed to assess the diagnostic pattern of psychiatric morbidity among the patients attending psychiatric outpatient department in a private medical college. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Psychiatry in Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences located at Karimnagar, Telangana, India. For this study, a total of 442 new subjects attending Psychiatry Outpatient Department (OPD) from August 2020 to July 2021 were taken. All the information including longitudinal histories of patients was recorded in files and the diagnosis was made following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM 5). Socio-demographic parameters and family history of mental illness were collected from the record file of the individual patient. Results: In the present study, among the different age groups, the majority (28.05%) of the study subjects were of the age ranging from 21-30 years. The distribution according to gender was (62.89%) males and (37.10%) females. The majority of the study subjects belonged to the rural background (69.45%), educated up to 10th standard (28.73%), self-employed (29.86%), married (67.42%), belonged to Hindu religion (85.74%), and with a monthly family income of 5,000 to 10,000 (38.68%). The majority of the study subjects were diagnosed with Major depressive Disorders (28.05%), followed by anxiety disorders (17.87%) and Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders (16.96%). Conclusion: This study provides information about the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among patients attending outpatient department in a private medical hospital in Northern Telangana. It helps in assessing the pattern of psychiatric problems and taking necessary steps to plan for better management of mental health care in the near future.

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IntroductionIn the era of increasing urbanisation and more migration to urban from rural area, there is a significant treatment gap in the urban population for mental health needs. Studies shows that urban people prefers psychiatric clinics, rather than hospitals, mainly because of accessibility and less stigma; and a significant proportion would not have attended a hospital. So, community-based care is a step for more comprehensive care and clinic-based studies are important, particularly in service planning and resource allocation. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study which has specifically looked in to the pattern of psychiatric morbidity in urban mental health clinic India. Hence, we wanted to look at the pattern of psychiatric morbidity and distress in patients attending at urban primary mental health clinic.Method:Retrospective chart review was done for patients, attending NIMHANS centre for wellbeing (NCWB), a primary urban mental health clinic, in Bangalore, from April 2018 to March 2019. Files, having complete sociodemographic and clinical information including WHO 5 wellbeing scale and K10 assessments, were reviewed. Socio demographic and clinical details as well as scores of WHO wellbeing index (WHO-5) and the Kessler’s psychological distress scale (K-10) were collected. Psychiatric diagnosis of the patients was recorded as per DSM 5.Result and discussion:Out of 195 case file reviewed, majority had depressive disorder (n=70, 35.9%) followed by anxiety including OCD (n=36, 18.5%) and trauma related disorders (n=35, 17.9%). Majority has reported significant distress in K10 (82%) and less well-being in WHO-5 (70.3%). Distress was more in female, depression, not married currently, and presence of familial tendency of psychiatric illness. Wellbeing was inverse to distress, and poor in recurrent psychiatric illness.In future, prospective study to see effect of gender, marital relationship, familial tendency and recurrent psychiatric illness on the wellbeing and perceived distress in psychiatric population are needed. Any gender specific distress or wellbeing expression in psychiatric illness can also be looked into.

Insomnia and quality of life of prisoners at a Nigerian maximum-security prison.

This study aims to determine the prevalence of insomnia as well as its association with the quality of life of the inmates in a Nigerian prison. Prisoners are a disadvantaged group of people whose needs are often unmet. Many authors have focussed on investigating the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity, as well as substance use among prisoners. However, sleep disorders, which can predispose or precipitate psychiatric disorders, have been largely neglected in research. The relationship between insomnia and quality of life (QoL) among the general population has been documented but similar investigations have yet to be conducted among the prisoner population. This was a cross-sectional study with 300 male prisoners at the Ibara prison, Abeokuta, Nigeria who were not diagnosed with depressive, generalized anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorders. Each respondent was interviewed with a sociodemographic proforma, Insomnia module of the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and the brief World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire. About half of the respondents (45.7%) met diagnostic criteria for insomnia. A diagnosis of insomnia and some sleep-related variables were significantly associated with QoL. All the possible correlates of insomnia could not be investigated. Further research should be conducted to identify more correlates and investigate the impact of insomnia on prisoners' lives. Improvement of prison climate (relationships in prison, safety and order, contact with the outside world, facilities, meaningful activities and autonomy) may mitigate insomnia among prisoners. Prison psychiatry in Nigerian correctional centres should be made a priority. The findings have brought to light the need to address the current social welfare system in place for Nigerian correctional centres. The study provided information on the prevalence of insomnia and poor QoL among prisoners in a Nigerian correctional facility.

Correlates and Pattern of Psychiatric Morbidity among Patients attending the Dermatological Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in South-South Region of Nigeria

Introduction: Higher rates of psychiatric disorders have been reported among patients with dermatological lesions. These problems could negatively impact the quality of life of these patients.&#x0D; Objectives: The study aimed to assess the psychiatric morbidity among patients attending the dermatology clinic of University Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). It also sought to assess the relationship between socio-demographic factors and presence of psychiatric morbidity.&#x0D; Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional design, involving ninety patients consecutively recruited from the dermatology clinic of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). Consenting patients filled the study questionnaire which was inclusive of a socio-demographic questionnaire and general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). A GHQ score of ≥3 was considered as having psychiatric morbidity. Statistical analysis was performed at a statistical significance level of 0.05.&#x0D; Results: The mean age (±Standard deviation) of the patients was 32.3(±13.2) years. The study had a male to female ratio of 1:2.2. Psychiatric morbidity was noticed in 34 patients giving a prevalence rate of 37.8%. The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was higher among females (40.3%) in comparison to males (32.1%), but this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.459). Age (P=0.840) and duration of dermatological disorder (P=0.211) showed no significant relationship with psychiatric morbidity.&#x0D; Conclusion: This study has shown that psychiatric conditions are common among patients with dermatological lesions. Hence it is necessary that mental health care is considered in the routine management of these patients.

Pattern of psychiatric morbidity in pediatric outpatient department

Mental health in child and adolescents is an essential component of overall health. Disturbed children are more likely to be disturbed adults. Therefore, early detection and treatment is important to decrease the long term disability. The objective of the study was to determine the morbidity pattern of psychiatric disorders among patients of pediatric outpatient department of tertiary level hospitals. This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2012 to February 2013 in pediatric outpatient department of three prime tertiary level hospitals of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Purposive sampling technique was used and sample size was 240. A Semi- structured questionnaire containing socio-demographic and other relevant clinical information and the parent version of Development and Well Being Assessment (DAWBA) were applied. The results showed that most (70.8%) of the respondents were of 5 to 10 years’ age group with a male preponderance (54.2%). Out of 240 respondents, 44 (18.3%) were found with psychiatric morbidity. Categorically emotional disorder was 14.6%, behavioral disorder was 9.2% and developmental disorder was 0.4%. Hyperkinetic disorder (5.4%) and Oppositional defiant disorder (2.9%) were the most frequent diagnoses, followed by Obsessive compulsive disorder (2.5%). 29.5% of psychiatric cases were associated with other comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. Respondents with minor physical illness were mostly found with psychiatric morbidity (43.2%). Multiple patterns of psychiatric disorders were identified among the respondents. Therefore, the need to step up to the clinical and referral approaches is imperative to this special segment of children of our society.&#x0D; Bang J Psychiatry June 2017; 31(1): 1-6

Pattern of psychiatric morbidity among referred inpatients in a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh

There is a dearth of studies related to consultation-liaison psychiatry in Bangladesh. The psychiatric referral rates in this country are very low, considering the higher rates of psychiatric morbidity in patients who attend various departments of a general hospital. This was a descriptive study consisting of all the cases referred for psychiatric consultation from inpatient units of various departments of BIRDEM General Hospital, Dhaka from July 2017 to June 2018. Patients of any age and of either gender were included. A total of 673 patients (1.97% of total admission) were referred from different departments of the hospital for psychiatric consultation within the study period. Majority of the respondents were female. The mean age of the respondents was 59.47 (±1.98) years. Among the referred, Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was the diagnosis in 24.96%, followed by Major depressive disorder (MDD) in 9.95% cases. Referral from the department of Medicine and allied was 92.86 %, followed by department of Surgery and allied (6.38%) &amp; department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (0.74%). Frequency of referral was the lowest in the months of November to January. There is a need to encourage multi-disciplinary interaction in the management of patients who attend general hospitals, so as to better identify the psychiatric morbidity.&#x0D; Bang J Psychiatry December 2017; 31(2): 38-42

Prevalence and Pattern of Psychiatric Morbidity Among Community-Dwelling Elderly Populations in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Many elderly persons in Nigeria are having mental health challenges and there is a lack of commensurate increase in services to attend to such. To assess the prevalence, pattern and correlates of psychiatric morbidity among community dwelling elderly persons (≥ 60 years) in Abeokuta, Nigeria. 532 respondents were selected using a multistage, stratified cluster sampling method from the elderly population in Abeokuta. First, participants were administered the socio-demographic questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Those with a score of ≥ 3 in GHQ-12 were assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI PLUS), while those with ≤ 16 in MMSE were assessed with the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) IV criteria for Dementia and the Petersen's criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). 36.3% of the respondents had a probable psychological disorder, while 25.4% had a probable cognitive impairment. 9.8% had a current definitive psychiatric disorder. The commonest disorders were major depressive disorder and dementia. The female gender, the oldest old (≥ 80 years), having a chronic medical illness and bereavement in the last 1 year were most significantly associated with having mental health problems. A significant number of the elderly population in the studied community suffers from a psychiatric illness. It is hoped that studies as these will inform stakeholders on the need to pay closer attention to the mental health needs of the elderly, as their overall wellbeing plays a role in determining the overall health of the community.