Prevalence of Schizophrenia among Patients Admitted into Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital

ABSTRACT

This study; a retrospective one that was conducted to assess the prevalence of schizophrenia among patients admitted into Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital; Rumuigbo; Port-Harcourt; Rivers State; Nigeria between January 2005 and December 2009. The method used to collect the required data was assessing all the case files of the patients at the Medical Records Department with the assistance of the Chief Medical Records Officer-in-charge. The prevalence was investigated in relation to gender; age range; level of education; occupation and marital status. The study revealed that on the average 58.19 of the patients admitted between the study period were Schizophrenic patients. It is therefore recommended that urgent national survey be conducted to determine the prevalence of all psychiatric disorders as the results will guide both the health policy makers and providers in effective and efficient planning and administration of health of the country either in the prevention; early detection and management of mental disorders in Nigeria as high prevalence is a grave threat to the dividend of our democracy