ABSTRACT
Background: Blindness can cause psychosocial distress leading to maladjustment if not mitigated. Maladjustment is a secondary burden that further reduces quality of life of the blind. Adjustment is often personalized and depends on nature and quality of prevailing psychosocial support and rehabilitation opportunities. This study was aimed at identifying the pattern of psychosocial adjustment in a group of relatively secluded and under-reached totally blind people in Ilorin; thus sensitizing eye doctors to psychosocial morbidity and care in the blind. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study using 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) and a pro forma designed by the authors to assess the psychosocial problems and risk factors in some blind people in Ilorin metropolis. Result: The study revealed that most of the blind people were reasonably adjusted in key areas of social interaction; marriage; and family. Majority were considered to be poorly adjusted in the areas of education; vocational training; employment; and mobility. Many were also considered to be psychologically maladjusted based on the high rate of probable sychological disorder of 51; as determined by SRQ. Factors identified as risk factors of probable psychological disorder were poor educational background and the presence of another medical disorder. Conclusion: Most of the blind had no access to formal education or rehabilitation system; which may have contributed to their maladjustment in the domains identified. Although their prevailing psychosocial situation would have been better prevented yet; real opportunity still exists to help this group of people in the area of social and physical rehabilitation; meeting medical needs; preventive psychiatry; preventive ophthalmology; and community health. This will require the joint efforts of medical community; government and nongovernment organizations to provide the framework for delivery of these services directly to the communities
Subject(s)
Blindness , Social Adjustment/psychologyABSTRACT
Objective. This study aimed to identify the socio-demographic characteristics; pattern of psychiatric disorders and management of children and adolescents before the setting up of a dedicated child and adolescent unit at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; Ilorin; Nigeria.Method. A retrospective study; carried out at the Department of Behavioural Sciences of the hospital.Results. The age range of the 94 children seen was 7 - 19 years; with a mean of 16.38 years (standard deviation 2.49); 82 were aged 14 - 19 years and 17 7 - 13 years; while only 1 child was under 7 years old. The majority of the children lived with their parents in monogamous families with 5 or more children. The majority of the parents were educated and gainfully employed.The major diagnoses were schizophrenia (50); delirium (15) and seizure disorders (9). Of the patients 64 were managed as outpatients and 36 as inpatients. Drug therapy was involved in the majority of cases; and the most frequently prescribed medication was haloperidol; atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone being used in only 8 of cases.Most of the patients were referred from the primary care-associated departments of the hospital; i.e. the general outpatient department (40) and the internal medicine and paediatrics departments (29). Referrals from welfare; judicial and educational institutions were uncommon (3).Conclusion. The pattern of patient presentation and management had not changed to any great extent over the past two decades. The introduction of a child and adolescent psychiatric unit is expected to improve consultation/liaison psychiatry and also child psychiatric service delivery and research. Understanding of the prevalence and pattern of presentation of mental disorders and their management is also expected to help improve the strategic planning and organisation of the new clinic